YOUTHS in Darlington are hanging around street corners possibly because they are not being told what services are available to them, a meeting heard yesterday.

The Working Together group, set up to identify gaps in the facilities on offer for young people, met for the first time at the town hall.

Meeting chairman Councillor Doris Jones said there were many valuable projects and services targeted at youths in the town.

But she asked: "Why do we have so many young people hanging around street corners?

"Are we getting the message out to them? Do these young people who say that there is nothing to do on a night know that there is a lot to do on a night? I'm seeing now a huge gap here."

Sue Davidson, Darlington Borough Council's acting head of youth services, said: "Sometimes young people will just choose to hang around with their friends on the street corner but there is that thing about not knowing."

The meeting was told that young people in Darlington can take advantage of five youth centres, a youth bus known as the Blitz Bus, advice from health workers who go into schools to talk about teenage pregnancy and giving up smoking and numerous leisure and arts activities.

The group will continue to meet regularly until February, when it will report to Darlington Borough Council's cabinet.