TEENAGERS from Belarus will be visiting the North-East thanks to the efforts of sixth form college students.

Last October, students from Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough, visited the state, formerly part of the Soviet Union, which suffered as a result of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

Mark Tallon, 18, from Redcar, and his friend Gavin Arnold, have been fundraising to bring five students and a teacher to east Cleveland for a holiday in August.

They organised a series of fundraising events and took part in the Boxing Day dip at Redcar to raise the £3,000 needed.

The students are just £400 away from their target and are confident of raising the remaining cash.

The pair are devising a timetable of events for their Russian friends, and plan to take them to York and to Whitby. Mark said the students on both sides of Europe are looking forward to the visit