A SCHOOL is hoping to open its doors to children on Friday nights in a bid to keep them off the streets.

The project at Branksome Comprehensive School in Darlington follows a police project to dry up the alcohol supply in the area and stop anti-social behaviour.

Police spent last week working with pupils at the school to find out what kind of activities they would like to see in the area.

The move could well be the first of many similar schemes across the town as the Government pushes for schools to be community hubs, open extended hours.

It also follows the tragic deaths of teenagers Stuart Adams and Lee Mullis, who were killed while playing on railway tracks at the Five Arches Bridge in Darlington on Good Friday.

Friends of the boys complained there was nothing to do and that was why they were hanging around near the bridge.

In February Darlington Police launched a new five-strong team to crack the problems of youths committing anti-social behaviour following almost 5,000 reports to police last year.

The StreetSafe unit has been successful already, arresting more than 45 people aged under 25, many of them children.

Anti-social behaviour is a national problem and police are focusing on the problems in Branksome before they will be moving to other areas.

Bernie Coyne, the deputy head of Branksome Comprehensive, said: "We work closely with the police in our community and they said they were becoming increasingly aware of anti-social behaviour on a Friday night.

"Police said they had spoken to the children who said there was nothing for them to do.

"Initially we will open the hall and the gym and then hopefully the pool.

"We would like to have something set up between now and the summer holidays."

Sergeant Dave Kirton, who leads the StreetSafe unit, visited every year group at the school last week. He said: "The pupils came up with some amazing ideas and some rules we could use for the scheme, like identity card entry."

The police hope to bring a mobile climbing wall to the area for three evenings. They hope the 16 week pilot in Branksome will start within the next few months.