FERRYHILL'S new youth caf will open to all children in the town for the first time tonight.

The e.caf is the result of an overwhelming response for such a facility among the town's youngsters, who filled in appraisal questionnaires.

The children set up a steering committee to decide what they wanted to be included in the caf, and have been working hard to make the project a reality.

The cafe, which has UK Online status, will serve tea, coffee and soft drinks. It has a lounge area with a pool table and table-tennis, a seating area with a sound system and a computer suite with Internet access.

It is hoped to open the caf from 6.30pm to 9pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.

There will be an annual membership fee of £1 and a 20p fee each time it is used.

Organisers are still looking to employ a suitably qualified youth co-ordinator to run the caf.

Detached youth worker Beth Storey has been helping out on a temporary basis, but the extra work done by her and town council executive officer Jamie Corrigan has led to other projects being delayed.

The post has been advertised at £6.50 an hour, but this has not been high enough to attract any applications.

A proposal to raise the salary to £8.50 an hour, in line with other organisations, was turned down by Ferryhill Town Council last month.

One worker who was going to apply if the salary level was raised has now obtained employment elsewhere.

The council is meeting again tonight to reconsider raising the salary offer by £2 an hour, in the hope of attracting some more applicants.