BORED teenagers living in isolated parts of east Durham will be able to visit friends and family in neighbouring villages thanks to a pilot scheme.

Durham County Council is launching the Friday Night Youth Bus for 13 to 16-year-olds in Thornley, Wheatley Hill, Wingate, Shotton Colliery, Horden, Blackhall Colliery and Blackhall Rocks.

The council hopes the service, which starts tomorrow, will enable youngsters to visit friends and family and go to events and nightspots in other villages.

The bus will run as a pilot project with Investing in Children and will operate every other Friday between 5pm and 10pm until October 24.

Passengers must pre-book their 50p return journeys.

Local county councillor Morris Nicholls, who helped to establish the scheme, said: "The idea came from consultation work undertaken by the county council with young people in the Wheatley Hill area.

"They told us there is a lack of facilities for them in the village and so we decided to introduce a number of schemes to help combat social exclusion, among them the Friday Night Youth Bus.

"This new service is only available to young people and so gives them a sense of ownership and independence, while enabling them to visit other villages in the area and keep in touch with family and friends."

The service will be run by a local operator and there will be an escort on board.

To book a place, or for more information, call Wheatley Hill Community Centre on (01429) 820214.