YOUNG people attending Marlborough Youth Centre in St Margarets Mead have elected their own committee so that they can have a say in how it's run.

Two members of the young people's committee will sit on the centre's management committee.

Youth centre chairman Ray Harley said there had always been openings on the committee for two youth members, but they had never been taken up.

Now the members at the centre have held elections to pick their own committee.

By popular choice, Shaun Kirby, 16, was elected chairman; Laura Patterson, 15, deputy chairman; Robert Hussey, 15, treasurer; Jamie Harrison, 16, secretary, and Christopher Deane, 15, committee member.

With the exception of Shaun, who has started work at Waitrose supermarket, all the other committee members are students at St John's School and Community College.

Jan Edwards, who has been youth worker at the Marlborough centre for just over a year, said she had encouraged the members to set up their own committee.

They were also advised by Will Kay, one of Wiltshire County Council's two recently-appointed youth democracy workers.

Shaun, formerly of St John's School, said he was pleased that through the committee the members of the centre would have a say in the way it was run. He said: "What we are trying to do is be a voice for our age group. We want to give members of the youth centre better representation."

Mr Harley said he wished the new members' committee great success.

He said: "We did try the idea about ten years ago on several occasions but it was always a non-starter."

Mayor Margaret Boulton is also a keen supporter; she has been encouraging the creation of a youth council to work closely with the town council to ensure young people get the facilities they need in the town.