A guide book will help police officers to break the ice with groups of young people on their beat.

Teenagers have helped to produce the resource pack, called Give Us A Chance, which contains advice to enable the police to engage with the younger generation.

It was drawn up as a way to break down barriers with younger members of local communities, who are often perceived as anti-social nuisances to the rest of the population.

Durham Children's and Young People's Council (DCYPC) drew up the guide, recognising that misconceptions can be on both sides and offering suggestions on how these can be avoided.

Role play activities and other exercises are outlined, and the pack offers practical tips on seeing the other side's point of view.

The council was set up to allow the county's young people to express their views and make changes about issues relevant to them.

They approached Durham Police's community safety department for help in putting together the document, which was launched at County Hall, Durham.

Sergeant Brad Howe, of the Durham Police community safety department, said: "A lot of hard work has gone into producing the resource pack and it should be a great help in building bridges between the two sides."