A warning has been put in place to parents after a group of children were spotted at the site of a disused medical facility in County Durham that has asbestos in it. 

Police and council officials have called on parents to have a better grasp of where their children are after police officers found a group of kids a the disused Stanhope Neurological Centre in Medomsley over the weekend. 

In the early hours of Sunday (January 28) morning, officers found several teenagers on the site of the ex-medical facility, before finding another group at about 4pm. 

Following these two incidents, the police have now issued a plea to both parents and the children involved, which they say "poses a great risk" to the people who are entering the site. 

Currently, the site has a 'do not enter' sign on the gates, but children have been seen climbing on the roofs of the disused buildings and also inside the buildings, which feature asbestos. 

A spokesperson for Consett Police said on Sunday (January 29): "In the early hours of this morning and again at 4pm, officers have been made aware of youths accessing the disused Stanhope Neurological Centre in Medomsley.

Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device, for just £3 for three months! Click here

Most read:

"The youths have been seen to be climbing onto the roof and going inside the building. Whilst they may feel this is a secluded and sheltered spot to hang out in, the building is dangerously unstable and full of asbestos, posing a serious risk to anyone who enters.

"Please make your children aware that entering the building puts them at great risk of harm. If youths are found to be accessing the building by police, they will be handed an Anti-social behaviour notice. They will also be considered to be trespassing on private land.

"The police are currently working alongside the building owner and council to secure the premises, however, It is imperative for your children's safety that they stay away from the building."