AN ex-police officer is to head a school's groundbreaking mentoring scheme that should tackle truancy head-on.

Spennymoor Comprehensive believes its new "interactive support base" to be the first of its kind in the country and it will be run by a local bobby.

PC Dave Mitchell left Spennymoor police force on Wednesday to take up his role as mentor to disaffected children.

According to headteacher Brian Ogden, the scheme should help children facing expulsion, struggling with schoolwork or those who need their self-esteem building up.

He said: "The Government's social exclusion unit has promoted the idea that truancy and disengagement need to be tackled to improve attendance, so we're using the money available to set up this scheme.

"If there is a child who has problems with something like spelling, then they can be given time under this scheme to correct the problem and be put back in the class.

"Educationally, we have children who are going through a bad patch and are in danger of exclusion, and they too will be included in the scheme.

"The education authority is interested in the outcome of this in helping those who go off the rails a bit during their adolescent years."

PC Mitchell spent 31 years with the police and has become familiar with the school through his work as substance misuse co-ordinator.

He says he is looking forward to the new role.

"I'll be sorry to leave the force, but I won't be losing contact with the police altogether, I'll be using their expertise at times."