A SKATEBOARDER hopes to turn his hobby into a business by establishing an indoor facility for the pastime.

Andrew Laidler, 26, from Durham, believes there is a demand for a purpose-built indoor skate park serving the city and surrounding area.

While Sunderland, Thornaby and Redcar already have facilities, he says there is nothing within easy reach of Durham City.

As a result, he has drafted a business plan for a park in the Newcastle or Durham areas, and hopes to receive funding from Project North-East and The Prince's Trust.

He said: "I've bought a park in Manchester and I'm going to transfer the equipment to the North-East.

"It would be purpose-built, and run by skaters for skaters. It would cater for skateboarders, BMX's and inline skaters."

Mr Laidler said the park would operate daily, staffed by enthusiasts trained in first aid, and would work with the local authority and schools, offering memberships and workshops.

Potential sites include warehouses in Spennymoor and Leadgate, in County Durham, and Newcastle, and Mr Laidler has already discussed the matter with several councils and the Durham Skateboard Partnership.

He said that while the partnership was attempting to attract £250,000 in funding for three outdoor skate parks, an indoor facility would only complement these.