ACTIVITIES to stop young people getting involved in crime over the school summer holidays have received a £50,000 boost.

The money from the Home Office Community Cohesion Fund will be used for a wide range of activities, including community football tournaments and skills sessions, disc jockey workshops, graffiti arts projects and fitness events.

There will also be a series of community events held at Darlington's Dolphin Centre.

The money has been awarded to Darlington Borough Council following last years' successful £20,000 pilot scheme, which saw a 25 per cent reduction in youth-related crime in the town over the six-week holiday period.

The additional funding for this year will mean that even more young people aged between 11 and 17 will have opportunities to take part in a wide range of projects.

As well as sports and leisure activities, there will be social and cultural events.

Money has also been allocated for a cultural awareness project with the Sikh and Islamic communities in the town.

Youngsters in disadvantaged areas of Darlington will be able to apply for free bus passes so they can join in, and about 100 free passes to the Dolphin Centre's fitness pulse suites will also be available.

The news of the funding came as the council announced that it will not be running its summer play scheme, Camp Dolphin, this year.

The scheme ran from 9am to 5pm on week-days and provided a variety of activities for children whose parents were at work.

A council spokeswoman said: "Instead of Camp Dolphin, we will be running a series of outreach programmes, going out to community centres in rural areas.

"There will still be activities at the Dolphin Centre and the Eastbourne Sports Complex, but these will be individual events and children under eight will have to be supervised."

The summer's schedule of events will be launched on Saturday, July 20, in Darlington town centre.

Representatives from the council will be at The Dolphin Centre, the Cornmill Shopping Centre and the town's Market Square to answer any questions about what is on offer and to give out leaflets promoting the events.