RESIDENTS are to march on Chester-le-Street Civic Centre to demand councillors act to block plans for a 25-bed bail hostel in the town centre.

At a public meeting this week, protestors voted to march from Chester-le-Street Hospital car park, through Front Street, to the civic centre, where they will converge on the proposed site nearby.

Opposition to the plans has grown daily since The Northern Echo revealed them last month.

The Probation Service then cancelled a series of meetings with residents because it could not find a Chester-le-Street venue big enough to hold all the objectors.

Protestor Jim Greer, of Picktree Terrace, said: "Every public meeting so far has had a huge turnout, about 150 on average."

The Probation Service said itwould not house anyone at the facility who might be a risk to the public.

Anyone interested in organising the march, which will start at 10am next Saturday, should come to the Greenbank Club at 7pm, on Monday.