A youth forum has been set up to help bridge the age gap between adult organisers of an anti-substance abuse charity and the young people it tries to help.

Ten Bradford teenagers from across the city have joined forces with the Chantelle Bleau Memor-ial Fund to give a valuable insight into today's youth culture.

The fund was set up five years ago after 16-year-old Chantelle Bleau died after sniffing gas from an aerosol.

The charity runs a support centre and works in schools warning young people about the dangers of sniffing household products like cigarette lighter fuel and other aerosols.

The effect of sniffing those substances is so massive on the body it can kill the first try.

The new forum, which plans to meet three times a year, will help the charity make sure its leaflets, lessons and assemblies in schools are on the right wave length.

National statistics on Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA) show the number of deaths associated with butane lighter fuels among under 18-year-olds has increased by 85 per cent.

According to those figures, more young people die of VSA than from any other illegal drug including ecstasy and heroin.

Pupils on the forum, which is also helping to develop a website, are from Dixons CTC, Beckfoot Grammar, Laisterdyke High School, Thornton Grammar, Buttershaw, Hanson School, Oakbank School, Parkside School and Rhodesway School.