ALTHOUGH funding is readily available to build a youth shelter at Middleton in Teesdale, finding somewhere to do so is proving a tough job.

WPC Alison Race has spent hours during the past year seeking a suitable spot, with various sites mooted around the village. But she fears she is reaching the end of the road in her quest to position it where it will not upset anyone.

At last month's meeting of the parish council she was encouraged by discussions with the trustees of the Middleton Educational Foundation about placing the shelter in a field beside the Wesley Terrace play park for a six-month trial period.

But at Tuesday's meeting, WPC Race reported that she had had "a fair amount of correspondence" about her proposal.

"The feeling is of total opposition, so I have come to the end of the road of where I can actually put it," she said. "Realistically, with the amount of time spent on it and the reaction to it, I am throwing in the towel until I can think of another scheme."

Coun Ann Bowron suggested approaching the Community School Association (CSA) again to see if they could have a piece of land for the shelter.

"It's away from the main road, car parks and neighbours and it's where the youths wanted it in the first place," she said. "I do think as a council we should approach them again, because this is our only hope for the youths.

"It's the ideal place for a shelter. The young people want it there because the police office is there and will be able to oversee the whole of it. They can have the confidence to play, away from their parents."

But Coun Joyce Jackson said the school governors, of which she is one, were opposed to it the last time it was brought up.

"The sticking point was that it was unsupervised and they are frightened of drugs coming along," she added.

She spoke of Sure Start facilities coming to the village, and that proposals would be outlined at a public meeting in the village hall at 7.30 on April 7. But members felt they could not wait for the implementation of a Sure Start programme, which could take up to five years. They must address the issue now.

WPC Race said the problem of where to put the youths would not go away. They would be gathering outside the Co-op again in the summer. It was decided that she and Coun Bowron would try to arrange a meeting with the headteacher and the CSA to see if they could make progress.