TEENAGERS in two North Yorkshire towns will soon have a space to call their own.

A specially-built youth shelter has been earmarked at Ryedale's skate park, in Norton, thanks to a £4,500 Home Office grant.

Youth action officer PC Stewart Ashton, who was a key figure in getting the skate park set up, said news of the grant was a huge boost.

"The site is proving a popular meeting place for many young people - we've had toddlers from the age of four right up to committed skateboarders in their 30s," he said.

"We realised they needed somewhere to gather and a shelter seemed an obvious next step to improve the facilities."

PC Ashton said the Ryedale Community Safety Partnership were working to secure more funding, to provide better lighting, more benches and rubbish bins.

Since the park was finished last year there had been obvious benefits, he added.

North Yorkshire Police receive hundreds of calls concerning young people and the problems of nuisance behaviour.

But the number of complaints in Norton and Malton about anti-social behaviour and young people has halved since the skate park was finished.

Partnership Community Safety co-ordinator Ana Richards said: "We only have to look at the consistently high numbers of young people using the site, not only for skateboarding, but also as a meeting place, to see it is a worthwhile project.

"A skate park is not going to solve all the difficult issues surrounding young people and how they are perceived, but it does give them their own space in which to meet and an exciting activity to channel their energies into."

The brightly-coloured youth shelter is expected to arrive on the site next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, new equipment looks set to be installed in a nearby play area - but local residents have opposed including any facilities aimed at teenagers.

Recreation chiefs had hoped that facilities such as a youth shelter or a purpose-built wall to kick balls against could be incorporated into plans for the area at Riverside View, Norton.

But Norton Town Council was told that many residents opposed the idea because they feared it would encourage teenagers on to the site.

Coun Di Keal said: "I think it's very sad that the residents are against facilities for the 11 to 15 age group."

She added: "Yes, there's a skateboard park, but that's not what everyone wants to do."

Updated: 09:33 Wednesday, March 19, 2003