A GROUP of teenagers have been going door to door to try and drum up support for a new skate park.

The group of keen skate boarders from Ushaw Moor are hoping to get a new facility for the village.

They decided to do something about the situation after becoming fed up with glass and rubbish making it difficult to use other spaces to skate.

Alex Colledge, 14, said: “There’s nothing to do around here. There’s the football cage but there’s a lot of glass and rubbish and older kids smoke and drink there.

“We think it would improve the place a lot and would get people off the streets instead of them sitting around drinking.

“We’ve been knocking on doors and people seem to be in favour. Everyone seems to think Ushaw Moor needs something. No one has really been negative.”

The closest skate park to Ushaw Moor at present is in the neighbouring village of Bearpark, which also suffers from broken glass according to the teens.

Joe Hallwood, 16, added: “At the minute we walk up to Bearpark but its not very nice because of the glass or we go to Newcastle.

“There are good ones in Newcastle, there’s more people interested in the culture.”

They have spent several nights going door-to-door around homes in the area to try and get more support for the project.

So far, around 150 people have signed the paper petition and a further 50 have added their name to the online version.

They have until July to get 600 signatures.

Councillor Marion Wilson, the Durham County Council member for Deerness said: “Alex and his friends have done a fantastic job with the work they’ve done so far.

“Hopefully it will happen somewhere along the line. When is another matter because it’s a matter of funding. I think it would be a fantastic addition to the village.

“At present the kids are coming from Ushaw Moor to Bearpark and a lot of parents are uneasy because of road traffic issues.

“Myself, along with the other councillors, will try to help them as much as possible.”

The young people have identified a number of potential sites in the village which they think could be suitable and have been discussing the proposal with parish councillors.

Visit democracy.durham.gov.uk for further details.