AN international youth project looking at disability will be held in County Durham next month.

Shoulder to Shoulder will involve more than 40 young people from the county and Europe, including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.

The event, which is being co-ordinated by the county council's international office and funded by Connect Youth International, will run from Saturday, February 8, to Saturday, February 15.

It will look at how disabled youngsters are involved in, or excluded from, the community and will coincide with the European Year of People with Disabilities.

Sarah Dunn, the council's assistant international officer, said: "There are 37 million people with disabilities in the EU and this initiative aims to highlight the barriers and discrimination faced by disabled people and to improve the lives of those who have a disability."

The youngsters visiting Durham will spend the week with host families