STOCKTON Borough Council's childcare information service is urging people who run classes or clubs for youngsters or their parents to get in touch.

The service has produced a database of organisations, leisure pursuits, things to do and places to visit, which may be of interest to parents, particularly during the summer holidays.

Mike Flood, senior childcare information officer for the council's early years team, believes there are many groups and activities which the team does not know about and is eager to find out more about anything going on in the borough.

He said: "I'm sure that there are groups out there we know nothing about, and it could be that a parent will come to us looking for ballet or tae kwon do classes, for example, and we won't be able to help. Even things like family-friendly pubs are of interest.

"What we want to do is provide a comprehensive guide for parents so that they know where to go to check these things out for themselves and see what best suits their needs.

"It's always useful to know where to look, especially during the summer holidays when it can be really difficult to keep children occupied."

Anyone who runs a club, group, class or activity for children or parents in the Stockton area, and would like to be included for free on the database, is asked to call (01642) 391329.