A FORMER unemployment office is proving just the job as the new headquarters of a county's women's institutes.

The only problem so far has been one or two jobless people wandering into the building, which is next to the present job centre in the centre of Spennymoor, County Durham, wanting to sign on.

Otherwise, the premises, which was opened at the weekend after undergoing major refurbishment, fits the bill perfectly.

Dorothy Proud, chairwoman of the Durham County Federation of Women's Institutes, which was formed in 1917, said: "Our old building in Durham City was far from ideal. Parking was limited, very costly and a total nightmare, so we were limited in the amount of activities we could cater for."

But Mrs Proud and her executive are hoping the new site will give an impetus for more activities such as workshops and social events. She said: "It has the advantage of being reasonably central for the whole of the county."

The federation has more than 2,500 members in 92 groups throughout the county. The headquarters, which was opened by Spennymoor Mayor Christine Kennedy, will be open three days a week and has two full-time staff.

Mrs Proud said: "There has been a tremendous amount of scrubbing and brushing done to get the building into shape. You name it, we did it.

"We are convinced it will be a great asset to WI members throughout the county."