A CONFERENCE tackling the problem of young offenders is being held on Teesside tomorrow.

The day-long Youth Offending conference at the Samsung Centre, Wynyard, near Stockton, will look at understanding young people's behaviour.

Rob Allen, of the Youth Justice Board, will head a team of local and national speakers at the event.

The pioneering conference aims to encourage discussion of the issues involved and look at ways of preventing youngsters getting into trouble.

John Bentley, director of the Safe in Tees Valley programme, said: "This conference is important in terms of helping us understand the way the behaviour of young people is perceived, and what can be done when that behaviour oversteps acceptable boundaries.