Trained counsellors will be on hand at the centre

The Teenage Referral and Advice Centre (Trac), is based at Shotton Hall school in Peterlee.

The centre is available to teenagers throughout east Durham and will also help with problems of drug and alcohol addiction and exam stress.

Health advisers and expert counsellors will staff the drop-in style centre, which will be housed in a building not connected to the main school complex.

Ian Mowbray, head teacher of Shotton hall, said: "The east Durham area has many problems associated with alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

"As a school we are trying to provide a one-stop shop, which caters for the needs of young people as well as those of the community.

Combat arsons

"We hope that because it will not be staffed by teachers, teenagers will see the centre as somewhere they can go where they can talk to people who are independent of the school.

"There has been an encouraging response from parents, who were fully informed about what is happening at the school."

The government has ploughed hundreds of thousands of pounds into east Durham in an effort to tackle anti-social behaviour by youngsters.

Other projects have involved school partnerships with the emergency services to combat arsons.

In July 2002, two former Shotton Hall pupils, who claimed they were bullied, lost a court case against the school.

Jamie Bright and Caroline Newby, both 20, took the school to court for allegedly failing to protect them.

But they lost their legal battle for compensation at Teesside County Court.