Hartlepool people are being invited to help decide how millions of pounds of regeneration cash should be spent.

Residents from Hart Lane to Belle Vue and agencies working in the area are being urged to attend workshops to put forward their spending priorities for the second year of the New Deal for Communities, which begins on April 2.

The town has been awarded £54m of New Deal money by the Government, to spend during the next ten years in the area, which is home to 10,000 people.

Up to £8m could be available in the next financial year, and workshops are taking place for people to make their views known on how the cash should be spent.

Several workshops have taken place but another is being held at 4pm, on Monday, in the People's Centre, Hartlepool, to consider community development, sports, arts and leisure issues.

There will be two further workshops next Thursday, at the People's Centre, where the theme will be crime and safety, and the Belle Vue social club, on health matters. The workshops begin at 4.30pm.

All residents are invited to a community forum meeting on Saturday, January 12, from 10am until noon, in the People's Centre. Proposals will then be passed to the New Deal steering group on Monday, January 14.

More information on New Deal in Hartlepool is available by telephoning (01429) 894046.