TEENAGERS outnumbered adults at Middleham's annual town meeting last week when the youngsters won more support for turning the old tennis courts into a skate park.

"There's nought for us to do. We just stand around and get into trouble," explained 13-year-old Jack Stephenson. He was one of those who went door-to-door in the town, collecting signatures on a petition.

He told the town meeting that many adults not only signed but also offered to sponsor them in any fundraising for a skate park. More than 100 adults and 70 children had signed the petition.

Impressed by the arguments put forward by the youngsters at the meeting, councillors were enthusiastically in favour of discussing this proposal further.

They recognised that, without any recreational areas for teenagers, boredom and resentment could lead to petty vandalism. They noted sadly that this was already happening in Middleham.

In her annual report the mayor, Coun Anne Williamson, said that since Christmas there had been an unfortunate number of disturbances in the town.

Peter Featherstone, the district planning officer, said the problems with other such schemes had not been the lack of commitment or the ability to raise funds by those who wanted them, but rather objections by other residents.

One of the adults said it would be much safer for the youngsters to have their own place to skate, away from pedestrians. It was confirmed by a youth worker that adults were willing to supervise the skate park.

The teenagers accepted that rules would be needed, and councillors emphasised the rules must be kept.

It was pointed out that the insurance cover for skate parks was much more affordable now and the equipment available was much safer. The tennis courts would provide a good base and so reduce the overall cost.

* There will be a meeting on Thursday, June 6, at 7pm at Middleham Key Centre for all youngsters aged 11-14 interested in forming a youth group.