YOUNG people in the North-East are making a video to show other teenagers the importance of voting.

Students at North Durham Academy in Stanley are taking part in the campaign to raise political awareness as part of Parliament Week, this week.

Sixth formers are working with the Durham County Council’s electoral services team and the national charity Bite The Ballot (BTB) on a campaign which aims to get more young people to use their vote.

As part of the initiative all 80 of the academy’s Year 12 students will take part in special assemblies with BTB’s Megan Patterson, during which they will learn how to register to vote and hear some of the reasons it’s import that young people take part in the democratic process.

Sixth formers will also use the sessions to interview their peers and the county council’s electoral services manager, David Collingwood, for the campaign video which will be launched in January.

Bite The Ballot is a non-political and not-for- profit charity which is working with the county council to increase the number of young people in the county registered to vote.