THE impending closure of a much-loved youth club inspired teenagers to pour into Darlington’s first ward surgery for youngsters on Saturday.

Councillor Cyndi Hughes said that the number one concern for those at the launch of her monthly Young Persons’ Surgery was the demise of the popular Top Deck.

The youth centre is expected to close its doors soon, following the retirement of Morag Coates who has worked tirelessly to support young people there for more than 20 years.

Since its inception, Top Deck – based at Parkgate Chambers – has provided a safe haven where young people of secondary school age could meet and socialise all year round, with a typical evening attracting between 30 and 70 attendees.

Its users flocked to the ward surgery at the weekend to make their feelings known and to urge the council to work to establish a facility to fill the gap that will inevitably be left by Top Deck’s unavoidable closure.

Danny Brown, the secretary for Darlington Youth Partnership, referenced the council’s ‘One Darlington, Perfectly Placed’ initiative, which aims to provide children with the best start in life.

The 17-year-old former youth MP said he hoped the council would take action in light of the centre’s closure.

He said: “Darlington won’t be ‘perfectly placed’ until there is a place for young people.

“Morag Coates was named Darlington’s Citizen of the Year 2016 and it speaks volumes that young people feel they need to lobby politicians to keep her work supporting them going in Darlington.

“It’s great that young people have taken action to support something they want to keep.

“The centre is somewhere affordable, warm and safe – there’s not a lot for them to do and Top Deck’s closure will leave a gap.”

A spokeswoman for Top Deck said the centre’s users had been very clear about their wishes for provision in the future, adding: “The young people have spoken, they know what they want and they like the model that they have been enjoying over the years.”

Cllr Cyndi Hughes said: "The young people who came to see me were very articulate, they wanted to do something. They told me all the reasons why they wanted to save Top Deck and challenged me."

She has now promised to act and hopes to encourage businesses and partners around the town to "get around a table" to discuss setting up a similar initiative in the future. Anyone interested should email cyndi.hughes@darlington.gov.uk