YOUNGSTERS between the ages of 13 and 17 are being urged to attend under-18s nights at an Ely night-spot. Club Zest, on Foresail, has been running the events since last summer and interest is growing. Noel Glass, manager of the club, was approached last y

YOUNGSTERS between the ages of 13 and 17 are being urged to attend under-18s nights at an Ely night-spot.

Club Zest, on Foresail, has been running the events since last summer and interest is growing.

Noel Glass, manager of the club, was approached last year by the Barns Young People's Forum, a multi-agency group comprising East Cambridgeshire District Council, Ely Police, Hereward Housing, ADeC and East Cambs and Fenland Primary Care Trust.

"We were happy to help," revealed Mr Glass, who hopes that the events will be as successful as similar ones in Newmarket and Huntingdon.

Representatives from each of the organisations in the forum attend the events, and a youth worker is also on hand to discuss any issues which teenagers feel affected by.

Parents can relax as each young person has to leave an emergency telephone number when they buy a ticket, and the events are supervised by trained door staff. There is a zero tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol.

Top local DJs provide the entertainment, and there is a range of reasonably-priced soft drinks for youngsters to choose from.

Malcolm Burt, Ely police community support officer seconded to the youth offending team, and deputy chairman of the forum, said: "I was happy to get involved. It's not a new idea, but it's somewhere for the kids to go.

"We want to treat it as a serious night and we want to give the youngsters a good experience.

Jo Fitzpatrick, community development officer for the Barns area, said ticket sales for the next event were going well.

"We've given some away to the schools and I've given some away at the Barns Community Rooms and they've all been snapped up.

"We want to really give the event a kick-start."

Tickets for the next night, on Wednesday, are on sale at the Spar shop at New Barns and Game on Fore Hill, as well as on the door, priced £3.

The night gets under way at 7pm.