Looe Youth Action has launched a £20-£25,000 campaign to raise the funds to purchase, renovate and refurbish the Looe Bakery building at Polean, which is up for sale.

The group, which is chaired by deputy head of Looe Community School, Tom Saddler, has been looking for a suitable building to convert into a drop in centre for the town's youngsters for some time, and says the bakery is in the right place and is the ideal size for the project.

Looe has suffered various problems in the streets over the years, and LYA firmly believe that if the young people had somewhere of their own in which to hang out and meet, instead of on street corners, much of the trouble would stop, and the town would be a better place for everyone.

Active member of the group, Looe mayor Dave Bryan, is spearheading the fundraising campaign which he hopes the community will support as much as possible.

'Our kids need somewhere to go' he said, 'and it is a dream of mine, that before my second term ends in May 2000, they will have a meeting place which they can call their own. Lots of problems will disappear if we can make this venture a success, and I appeal to all youth organisations in the town to join in with us and help to make the drop in centre a reality soon'.

Once up and running the young people will be asked to set up their own management team as a Youth Forum under the auspices of the Looe Town Forum. It is hoped the centre could be open seven nights a week, and be used for other community purposes during the day.

Part of the Town Forum's proceeds from an auction at the Barbican Inn, East Looe, on Saturday, November 13, is for the fundraising campaign.