WAREHAM will be home to Britain's first indoor skatepark.

The £400,000 scheme, due to open on September 28, makes use of an industrial unit at Sandford Lane industrial park which has stood empty for several years.

Wareham-based private sector company Airborn Ltd bought the unit for some £275,000 and the new facility is the result of a public and private sector partnership between the company and Wareham and District Development Trust.

Set up last April, the Trust has a board of 15 volunteers, including nine elected board members and two local council representatives.

WDDT chairman Kevin Randall said: "The young people in and around Wareham are eagerly awaiting this facility.

"I have been overwhelmed with the generosity not only of the private sector, but from volunteers as well, whose ages range from seven to nearly 70.

"We are delighted to be working with the private sector in this original project, because without their funding, this scheme would never have got off the ground."

As part of the new scheme, the Trust will rent four rooms inside the industrial unit at £4,000 per year to create a youth caf and Basic skills training offices leased to Dorset Community Action.

Several grants have helped get the venture off the ground. These include £6,000 from the Local Network Fund for working with young people aged 11 to 19, £500 received from the Rural Enterprise Fund and £100 from Wareham Town Council.

Airborn Ltd will operate and manage the skatepark, charging admission fees of £2.50 per two-and a-half sessions. It will open from 4pm to 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 9pm weekends and school holidays. During school holidays there will be 14 session passes available priced £21.

Team Extreme will be demonstrating their skateboarding and BMX skills at the opening session which starts at 11am on Saturday, September 28.