A NORTH-EAST secure centre once dubbed Britain’s toughest children’s home and which still houses some of the country’s most disturbed young people is to be rebuilt.

Aycliffe Secure Services – also known as Aycliffe Young People’s Centre – was thrust into the national spotlight in the Eighties and Nineties amid allegations of brutality and a prison-style regime.

The reputation of the centre recovered in recent years and it has built up an international status for its work with troubled children.

Yesterday, it was announced that the Durham County Council-run centre will receive £7m in Government funding towards the project, which will cost a total of £12m.

News of the funding followed confirmation from the Youth Justice Board that it will renew its contract for the Newton Aycliffe site, off the A167, until 2016.

The investment, together with the new contract, will safeguard 170 jobs and boost the local construction industry.

The centre looks after 11 to 17-year-olds, many of whom have committed criminal offences and been sent to the unit by the courts.

Last night, Councillor Claire Vasey, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “This is a vital service for some of our most vulnerable young people.

“The majority of the young people who go to live at this secure children’s home have very complex problems, which in most cases has resulted in them offending or putting themselves at risk of serious harm.

“It is important that they get help to turn their lives around so that they don’t continue to offend and instead make a positive contribution to society.”

On average, young people sent to the centre stay for about eight weeks, but the length the stay can vary from a few days up to two years.

While there, young people are given help and support to address issues such as substance misuse, mental health problems and self harm.

The council has already given the go-ahead for the proposal to rebuild the centre, with work due to start next year and be complete by 2011.

The centre is expected to generate about £5m towards the rebuild itself.

Great Aycliffe Town Council leader Bob Fleming, who worked at the centre from 1960 to 1971, said: “It is good news for Aycliffe and it is good news for the wider area.

“Providing these services is very necessary, and it is good that we can provide them here and safeguard these jobs.

“In time, I think there will be more development in that area because a lot of land is already designated as residential from when there was more live-in staff.”

The centre gained a highprofile reputation under the directorship of Dr Masud Hoghugi, who took over in the Seventies – and the publicity was not always favourable.

Then named the Aycliffe Centre for Children and counting Prince Andrew as a Royal patron, Newton Aycliffe residents regularly called for its closure because of the number of offenders escaping from the secure unit.

A damning Government report in 1993 alleged staff at the centre operated an illegal prison-style regime.