TROUBLED teens in the Tidworth and Ludgershall area now have a confidential counselling service they can access to help them overcome their problems - possibly without their parents knowing.

The new service, based at the Elm House surgery in Tidworth, is called 'Talk Zone' and is being run by Relate, the organisation most famous for its marriage guidance work. In Tidworth the service will operate on Tuesday afternoons until 6pm so it will be open during and after school.

Gillian Lowe, an experienced counseller, is taking on responsibility for the work, which is aimed at children between 10 and 19 and is free.

"Talk zone is quite new but has already proved to be quite successful elsewhere in the country," she said at a meeting of the Tidworth exchange in the community centre. "Children can self refer themselves or be referred to us by people working with young people in schools, social services or the health service.

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