CHILDREN living in the North Road area of Darlington hope to benefit from a £90,000 lottery grant.

The money, from the Big Lottery, will pay for activities for five to 19-year-olds for a three-year period.

The bid from Longfield Comprehensive, Corporation Road Primary School, Harrowgate Hill Primary School and North Road Primary School, through Darlington Borough Council has been given initial approval. Final approval is expected in July.

In the first academic year, the project will offer taster sessions in a variety of activities to young people of all ages to help them develop new skills and interests.

The young people will then be asked for their opinions on the activities and the council will look to repeat and extend the most popular sessions and provide new activities if there is a demand.

The news is welcome, coming just weeks after Stuart Adams and Lee Mullis were killed on the railway line at the Five Arches Bridge, off North Road. Since their deaths, there have been calls for more youth activities in the area.

Councillor Chris McEwan, the borough council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "The consultation with the young people went well and we have had a positive response from the Big Lottery Fund.

"We are looking forward to continue working with the young people in the North Road area to provide them with more activities."