RESIDENTS living near the site of a proposed farm training centre are worried that it will be used to teach problem children.

However, John Littlefair, the man behind the centre at Sadberge said every student will be closely supervised.

The 45-place centre, on land behind Beacon Hill, will teach "disengaged" pupils between the ages of 13 and 19.

They will study a range of practical subjects including farming, construction, joinery and animal care, as well as basic numeracy and literacy.

Villagers have called for more information about the centre before any decision is made. The parish council has deferred making any comments until it learns more.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said his chief concern was who would be housed there.

He said: "This is a small village and a lot of the people are elderly. There's two pubs only a stone's throw away from where this centre's going to be.

"We're not saying they're all going to be delinquents, but this doesn't seem to be the right place to have it.

"Our worry is if these kids can't stay in school how are they going to stay here?"

Other worries included the fact that the house was being built on arable farmland.

Mr Littlefair, who runs a similar centre at Hart village, near Hartlepool, said the students would not be a problem.

He said: "It's not really an agricultural training centre, it's basically a farm."