A scheme to help people set up businesses while regenerating their communities has been launched in the region.

Teesside has one of the lowest rates in the country for people setting up in business and it is hoped the scheme, for Redcar, east Cleveland, will go some way to changing that.

The Enterprise Development Project at Redcar Station Business Centre has been funded by the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), set up to help the Coatham, Dormanstown, Kirkleatham and Newcomen areas.

Project officer Adrian Beadnell said: "Probably one of the most important aspects of this job will be to encourage local people to think about either self-employment, or the start of a community business, as a realistic opportunity."

At the launch yesterday, Peter Sotheran, from the SRB West Redcar Priority Group, said: "We want to create more self-employment opportunities for local people and this project will assist through the provision of quality business support services, signposting to other organisations and training opportunities, enhancing the community's capacity to develop jobs and enterprise."

Dorothy Askew, principal economic development officer for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, a partner in the scheme, said starting a business could be frightening.

"We will support them with a long lead-in time before the business is actually up and running," she said.