PLANS to set up a safe play area for children in a Durham suburb have taken a step forward.

The Pity Me play park initiative adopted a constitution at a public meeting, held in the Abbey Sports Centre.

The group, which has been running informally for several months, plans to hold a formal election of committee members.

It is sending off an application for a £5,000 grant to the National Lottery Awards For All fund.

The group, formed by concerned parents, has ambitious plans to create a play park costing up to £108,000, near The Avenue.

People at Pity Me are worried that children only have a piece of land near the busy A167 to play on, because housing development has eaten up all the other open space in the area.

They hope to get the site ready for the summer holidays.

The grant application is for fencing, but their longer-term plans are to install play equipment on the land.

The eight parents who have been running the group so far hoped for a big turn-out at the public meeting, but only an extra 19 people turned up.

Treasurer Elaine Burnip said: "The meeting went well and we did have local councillors Jeff Lodge and Neil Griffin, who said they would help us and back us all the way.

"We are well on target to becoming a charity."

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 12, in the sports centre, at 7pm.