RESIDENTS worried about paedophiles staying in a planned bail hostel in the centre of a County Durham town attended a public meeting last night.

If built, the 25-bed hostel, planned near Chester-le-Street's Civic Centre, magistrates court and health centre, will house ex-offenders, court defendants and people on probation.

Despite reassurances from County Durham Probation Service, residents in Picktree Lane and surrounding streets are worried that convicted paedophiles - as well as potentially violent ex-convicts - could shatter their peaceful lives.

Residents crammed into the Greenbank Club in Picktree Lane to thrash out a protest strategy.

Pam Tweddle, who lives in Picktree Terrace, and is leading the protests, said: "We have so far had no guarantees about the types of people that could be housed in this hostel.

"By their nature, bail hostels have people who have just come out of jail staying there, and because we have children and property, we have every right to know who'll be in there.

"We want to know whether or not they're talking about paedophiles, murderers, or just petty thieves and criminals," she said.

Mary Bewley, spokeswoman for County Durham Probation Service, said any hostel built would have a mixture of offending types.

She said: "We are trying to be reassuring and we are not dismissing their fears at all.