COMPUTER whiz kids are to get their own cyber caf in Otley.

More than £150,000 is being spent on the major refurbishment of the town's Cross Green Community Centre. And as part of the project the town's youth forum will be setting up a computer internet caf in the building.

It is hoped the newly refurbished centre will also house Otley Citizens' Advice Bureau as well as other community groups such as the Otley Domestic Violence Group.

Town councillor John Eveleigh pledged £30,000 of Ward Based Initiative Money - given to local councillors to spend on major projects within their ward - before he lost his seat on the city council at the May elections.

He said: "This was something I took on when I was first elected in 1996 and I am delighted that it is finally coming to fruition. The building needs a complete overhaul and hopefully there will be other services in there."

Coun Eveleigh said young people behind the cyber caf would be delighted to have a permanent base.

"They have been raising money and getting the equipment together for a long time. A lot of money and a lot of commitment is going into the centre but we have a youth and community team second to none," added Coun Eveleigh.

It is hoped work on the former schoolrooms will begin before the end of the financial year in March.

It will also provide the Otley and Wharfedale Community Involvement Team (CIT) with newly refurbished offices, new toilets are to be built and a better entrance provided.

Coun Phil Coyne, chairman of the Otley and Wharfedale CIT, said: "This is an important refurbishment. The centre has significant use.

"At the moment it is in quite a poor condition and not fitting for use by the young people, they should have decent facilities."

It is planned that other services such as careers advice sessions will be run at the centre. A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said the work would include improvements to the toilets including building a disabled toilet.

"The entrance lobby to the main building will be improved and the general refurbishment will include health and safety work to bring the building up to current standards, including installing facilities for disabled people, such as ramps and induction loops.

"As part of the refurbishment, cabling and electrical work will be carried out to enable the Otley Youth Forum to run a cyber caf facility in the centre.

"It is anticipated that the Citizens Advice Bureau will also be based in the building. Work will start as soon as an electrical and mechanical survey has been completed."

Julia Johnson, community development worker for Otley, said it was excellent news for the town. "I've worked in Otley for a long time now and this is such a useful facility," she said

"Really the only place with disabled facilities is the civic centre and hopefully there will now be more and more groups using Cross Green."