A DEPRIVED, drug-blighted village battling to turn itself around celebrated a major step forward with the official opening of a new community centre.

The £720,000 complex in East Street, Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, brings back facilities missing for more than a decade.

The previous community centre, in the former Grange Villa County Mixed School, was a no-go area after it became a haven for drug users.

It was vandalised, set on fire and finally demolished seven years ago.

Edna Passmoor, centre secretary, said: "Something had to be done for the young people and now, thankfully, the problems of a few years ago seem to be over.

"The centre has put the heart back into the village."

The centre will have training rooms, a community caf, crche, youth club and a pain management clinic run by Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust.

Since it opened a few weeks ago, a range of classes have started, including computer training, stitch craft, a ladies' club and baby massage. There is also lunch club serving meals every weekday.

For youngsters, there are two youth clubs, for under-12s and teenagers.

Ann Blewitt, centre chairman, said: "There was nothing here for youngsters and we wanted to provide something that would entertain them and keep them off the streets. "The pensioners are really enjoying coming to the lunch club as well," she said. "Some people are meeting friends they haven't seen for a long time."

The community enterprise centre will include a Sure Start Early Years centre.

This has a new nursery with separate baby and toddler areas, and an outdoor play area.

It will also be a new home for the baby weighing clinic, which presently uses a room in the village workingmen's club.

Villagers raised £20,000 towards a new centre, but the project really gathered momentum in 2001, when it won a £350,000 grant from the European Regional Development Fund.

Sure Start matched this and Durham County Council provided the land for free.

"It was European funding that finally got us this building," said Mrs Blewitt.

"Once we had that we were able to attract other funding and the plans really got off the ground.

"We were determined to try to do something for the people living in and around Grange Villa, but especially for the young people."

The community centre was opened last Friday by the youngest and eldest residents in the former pit village - Hannah Blenkiron who is six months old, and Elijah Pyle, aged 86.