IT IS a familiar story. With too few facilities, youngsters often resort to hanging around on the streets.

There they arouse the suspicions of adults, whose fear of crime and vandalism are heightened.

But in Darlington, youth workers, the police and other agencies have joined forces with young people to create something positivein the form of the Blitz Bus.

The project came into being in 1999, after two youth workers decided young people in some areas of the town had little to occupy them.

The police were unhappy about the number of youngsters hanging around on street corners, so the two groups came up with the idea of the Blitz Bus - a type of mobile youth club, but offering much more.

Durham Constabulary provided the bus, the youth workers secured money from the Millennium Awards scheme, and with help from the young people they refurbished the vehicle and got it on the road.

The service offers young people aged 11 to 25 a place to meet and socialise, but also provides information and advice on issues including sexual health, drugs, debt, careers, computing and welfare - all without charge.

There are now two buses, which are operating five nights a week, each calling at two different areas in the town every night, from 7pm to 9pm.

Climbing aboard the bus on a cold Wednesday evening in the Asda car park in Whinfield, it felt like a relaxed youth club on wheels; music blaring and teenagers gossiping.

Alan Johnson, a youth worker with Darlington Borough Council's community education department, said: "It is quite informal and laid back. That is what they like about it. No one is pressuring them, they can do what they want here."

The buses also provide the police with an opportunity to build better relationships with young people.

"Beat officers call in at the bus when it is in their area from time to time, to make sure everything is okay," said Hayley Dixon, 19, a peer mentor who works on the bus.

The officers also take part in residential weekends organised by community education, when they take 22 young people from areas of Darlington to a residential centre at High Force, in Teesdale.

There they try abseiling, rock climbing and team games, but also get to know new people and build relationships with the police.

The police also use the youngsters to help their new recruits in training, teaching officers how to speak to and deal with young people effectively.

Another great part of the Blitz Bus cycle is that some of the young people using it get involved volunteering on it.

When they turn 16 they can become peer mentors, with a view to becoming youth workers, as Jamie Dillon, 17, has done.

"I used to use the bus, and now I'm employed on it as a peer mentor, so in a way I got a job out of it," he said.

Each month the buses have a different theme, chosen by the young people, from sexual health, to alcohol awareness, with experts talking to them and playing games to get the message across.

While most schools deal with these awkward issues, for many young people it is not the right place to learn about them.

One 16-year-old said: "We don't learn about it like this at school. Here it is more relaxed. We can talk and it is confidential."

The popularity of the Blitz Bus is clear, with up to 110 young people using it each night.

"It's easier us going to the young people, it's not always easy getting them to come to you," said Alan.

"Young people relate to other young people and we are getting in touch with more and more of them."

For details about the Blitz Bus call (01325) 388830