BEAT bobby Colin Dobson hopes to prove a tonic for villagers, fed-up with the late-night antics of unruly youngsters.

He has set up a one-man police office above a doctor's surgery in Woodland Crescent, at Kelloe, and will be keeping a close watch on rowdy behaviour.

He has spent most of his time on patrol at nearby Coxhoe, but now he will be able to devote more time to the former pit village.

"By working even more closely with local people it will become easier to identify problems and find solutions,'' he said.

"Villagers will be able to drop in and see me at the office. A sign in the front window of the surgery will let people know when I am in.

"I will occasionally be in Kelloe during the day, but since the majority of the problems of nuisance and disorder are at night, it is then the people will be looking to me to deal with difficulties as and when they arise.''

The parish council has been looking for police accommodation for two years.

Its chairman, Alan Crathorne, said he was thrilled by the opening of the office.

"The behaviour of teenagers, particularly at night, in Front Street and the Methodist Church area, has been a source of complaint from local people,'' he said.

"For some time we have been looking for suitable accommodation for the police office and the doctor's surgery, which we also had to fight to get, turned out to be an ideal solution.''

The village's GP, Dr Kanu Patel, said he believed the police office and the surgery would complement each other.

"Often people who come to the surgery for primary health care have other associated problems that, on some occasions, might benefit from police intervention.