THE future of a youth club and sports centre is uncertain following plans to create a 1,000-pupil school.

Brotton Youth Club has been told that its club and a sports centre used by the community may be demolished to make way for the single-site Freebrough Community College.

Building work is expected to begin on the school, in Brotton, this summer, bringing together pupils from the school's three sites at Skelton, Loftus and Brotton.

But the club said it had received no assurances that the youth club facilities will be part of the school.

They said that, in any case, youngsters in the area will be left without a youth club for two years while the school is built.

The club's management committee said it was told by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council officials at a recent meeting that the youth club and sports centre would be demolished as part of the plans.

But a council spokesman said that no decision has yet been made by officials as to what form the new building will take or what will be retained from the old buildings on the site.

He said: "We are currently going out to tender for a design consultancy for the Brotton site, who will assist us in making the best use of the site in relation to the facilities that are required, both for the school and for the community."

Richard Rudland, a member of Brotton Community Forum and vice-chairman of the youth club, said: "We need to fight to keep these important facilities.

"There is nowhere else for young people to go. There will be more damage and destruction to pay for by disaffected youths than the cost of providing somewhere for them to go.

"Schools often cannot offer extra-curricular activities, and youth clubs help the children to develop important life-skills."

Concerns have also been raised by the community at Skelton over the possible sale of Freebrough's Skelton school site to developers, which would mean the loss of a youth centre, virtual learning centre and sports hall.