YOUNG heroes will be honoured as a youth scheme is rolled out in the Easington and Seaham police areas.

The Young Heroes Award, which has already seen success in the Peterlee area, aims to highlight the positive contributions to the community made by young people.

Headed by PCSO Carole Hutton, of Seaham Neighbourhood Police Team, the project hopes to break a negative stereotype that tars many under-18s with the same brush.

PCSO Hutton said: “There’s a perception held by some that young people are only out to commit anti-social behaviour or to get involved in low-level crime, but that ignores some of the great work being done by the majority.

“As police, we get to see both sides of the story, and our hope is that the Young Heroes Award will highlight the positives, which I believe far outweigh the negatives.”

Police are seeking nominations for any under-18 who has made a positive contribution to the community, or made a random act of kindness. They can be made via private message on the Seaham and Easington Police Facebook.

Nominees must reside within the Seaham and Easington Police area, which includes Seaham, Murton, Easington, South Hetton and Haswell.Each month, a winner will be chosen and invited to Seaham police station to be presented with a certificate and Dalton Park gift card.

Dalton Park, local councillors and Seaham Town Council are all in support of the project.

The Young Heroes Award has been running in Peterlee throughout 2018, and at an awards evening at Shotton Hall earlier this year, ten inspirational youngsters were honoured for kindness, bravery and personal achievement.

Chief Inspector Lee Blakelock said of the evening: “We all know that bad news travel fast, but I wanted to highlight that there are unbelievable stories of everyday heroes all around us, and that those stories deserve to be told.”