FAMILIES living in Middleton-in-Teesdale were delighted yesterday when they were promised a mobile dental surgery will visit the community every week.

The £160,000 National Health Service vehicle will stand for seven hours each Tuesday in a car park in the centre of the village.

The service has been interrupted for the past year because of staff shortages and other problems, but dentist Kate Booth has been signed up to provide regular care.

Practice manager Anne Mellett said: "It is a wonderful service for patients from all over the upper dale, as it saves them from making round trips of over 20 miles to the nearest permanent dental surgeries in Barnard Castle."

Miss Booth, who will also work at a Darlington practice, will be able to treat up to 20 patients each Tuesday in the car park.

She said: "Now that we have a regular day here we will expect patients to make bookings. But we won't turn anyone away. If local people or tourists come in suffering from toothache we will do some work to stop the pain."

Judith Owston, who has a shop across the road from the car park, called yesterday to have a chipped tooth inspected.

She said: "It is absolutely brilliant that we have a service like this in our village. It would take ages to travel to other places for treatment. We are all delighted that the surgery will be calling here every Tuesday in future."

Patients pay the normal NHS rates for treatment. These range from £2.80 for x-rays and £5.60 for examinations to £119 for crowns and £146 for dentures.

The last permanent dental surgery in Middleton-in-Teesdale closed several years ago.

Anyone wishing to make a booking for the mobile surgery can telephone Mrs Mellett on 07789 868231.