A GROUP of Durham teenagers have called on their MP to intervene in a bid to create a much-needed skateboard park in their community.

At the weekend, a delegation from the Peterlee Skate Park Action Group asked Easington MP John Cummins to help break a deadlock with town councillors over the preferred site for the facility.

The group, which includes police and adult backers, took its plight to Mr Cummins after learning that the town council had deemed Eden Lane to be the most suitable place to build the skate park.

But teenagers fear vandalism there and want to use land at Woodhouse Park.

The group's spokesman Tom Young said last night: "We have from the outset identified Woodhouse Park as being the ideal location for the skate park, and have made this clear to the council.

"The site is well away from houses, and we would be happy to screen it from the main road and landscape it."

Mr Young said the Eden Lane area was the tenth most deprived ward in the country.

He said: "When some of the youths went to inspect the site they were chased away by people who stoned them. It simply isn't the type of place to put a new skate board park. A brand new facility there would not last a month."

Town council leader Councillor Dennis Coates said he was surprised by the group's response.

He said: "The town council has tried to make decisions on a timescale to meet the requirement of the group's grant application and provide what the group asked for - a site in Peterlee."

He said, as part of its grant application, the skateboard group would need to get secure tenure of the land for ten years.

He said the council could not guarantee this, as the land was leased from Easington District Council.

The Peterlee Skate Park Action Group was formed by skateboarders fed up with criticism over skateboarding in the street.

They formed a committee, organised a petition, contacted the police and wrote to other areas with established skate parks, and approached businesses for funding.

An adult committee was formed to guide them on matters of finance and planning