A NORTH-EAST graduate has been named the UK's top mentor after showing skill at coaching youngsters.

Juanita Husbands, a Teesside University law graduate, is the first to attain the title from the National Mentoring Project.

Launched by the Government two years ago, it involves 1,000 university students mentoring pupils aged 12 to 18. Mentors aim to boost the youngsters' self-esteem and help raise achievement.

To achieve the top title, Ms Husbands, 23, beat off competition from students at ten universities, gaining a laptop computer and £100 in book tokens.

Ms Husbands, who is from Bangor, County Down, joined the Mentoring Project in October 1999, working with pupils from Middlesbrough's Langbaurgh School.

She said: "I felt I was putting something back into the community by working as a mentor. The sessions were held after school and the pupils were interested enough to give up their own time to attend.