ARTISTIC youngsters in Tang Hall, York, are playing their part in rebuilding their local community hall - a year after it was destroyed in an arson attack.

Work on Tang Hall Community Hall, in Fifth Avenue, is due to start within the next few weeks and could be completed by March 2002.

No one was brought to justice for the attack in November last year, but it was widely thought that youngsters were involved in starting the fire.

Now, in a move to show that not all young people in the area are irresponsible, a group of teenagers is putting paintbrush to paper to create a mural for the entrance to the community centre.

The mural will incorporate all the users of the popular centre, including young people and pensioners, and it will show how much the centre is valued by the community.

Tom Gibson, chairman of the Tang Hall Community Hall Committee, came up with the idea so that the young people would feel involved in the rebuilding project.

He asked youth worker Mick Phillips to organise the painting sessions.

Mr Phillips said: "We have come up with some ideas and the kids have developed them and painted them themselves.

"We have got some really artistic young people.

"They have been looking at the different generations that did use, and will use the centre again.

"The mural shows people getting involved in things, chatting, playing football, getting involved in art.

"We have got some really good young people in Tang Hall, but the fire has done nothing to enhance their reputation in the area.

"But there are a lot of positive pieces of work being done by lots of different agencies."

Updated: 09:52 Friday, October 19, 2001