YOUNG skating fans who complain that older kids are driving them off a new arena are counting on the power of the pen to get them back on their boards.

Children from Crook Primary School used their English lessons to mount their postal protest to leisure chiefs at Wear Valley District Council.

The overwhelming message from 20 of the 26 letters sent by teacher Joan Hillary's class of nine and ten-year-olds was that they wanted sessions set aside for them at the £90,000 Skate Pit.

Some of them claimed that older teenagers had made the park too dangerous for younger ones to use.

Katie Roberts, from High Hope Street, wrote: "The older children push us off the ramps and knock us over. My friends are really sick of it.

"We all take our skate boards to play at the park then the older children do not let us in."

Neighbour Gemma McGee told how she jumped in fright after being shouted at. She said: "I'm not allowed to go there any more in case anything happens to me."

Others, however, just wanted to say thank you. Ruth Neil, aged nine, from Satley Close, said: "I think it was a good idea to put it in a public place so my friends and me are safe from strangers."

Now, after handing their letters over to leisure committee chairman, Coun Danny Giblin, the children are each to get a personal reply from leisure director Paul Dobson. He said: "We are already working with police so that all ages can use it. The problem is not caused by skaters but by a small group of hangers-on who have no interest in skating. The park was designed by youngsters and it is intended to be self-policing. This is the first time that we have been able to provide something for children that don't want to be involved in formal sport and we want it to work."