A disused tower block in County Durham has allegedly been used for underage drinking, drug-taking and young people setting fires, according to the police, who are looking to bring in a prevention to ban people entering the premises.

Lee House, on Upper Yoden Way, Peterlee, might impose over the town’s landscape – but over the last couple of months, it has reportedly been used for criminal activities.

The six-storey building, which has sat empty for several years, has become a mainstay for young people entering the facility and “putting themselves in danger”.

Read more: Drug addict pledges to change his life after 12 month sentence

With the increasing reports of anti-social behaviour inside the Peterlee building, Durham Police are now looking to work with council groups and other emergency services to secure the site and ban people from entering the premises.

A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “Over the last few months we’ve received regular reports of young people putting themselves in potential danger by getting into the empty Lee House in the town centre.

“Kids are taking a risk by going into a disused building unsupervised, there is evidence of underage drinking, possible drug-taking, damage to windows and evidence of fire-setting.

“Every time this is reported to us, our officers attend and take appropriate action, but we suspect it happens more times than it is reported.

As well as looking to secure the building, the police force has urged members of the public to be vigilant and continue to report young people that choose to go in Lee House.

The spokesperson added: “We are currently in talks with our partners including the council and fire service to secure the site and find a long-term solution to the problem.

“But in the meantime, we would urge parents to protect their kids by asking them to stay away and we would urge teenagers to protect themselves and their friends by keeping clear of the site.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054