The team behind a new skills academy in Newton Abbot has been praised for going the extra mile in order to bring young adults back into training and education.

The tribute was paid by MP Anne Marie Morris who opened the South Devon College venture in Courtenay Street on Friday.

The centre caters for youngsters across the area who have drifted out of the system before gaining the qualifications that could help them find work.

It offers small classes and employs staff who are trained to work with those teenagers who can be challenging.

They find one of the most fruitful means of identifying members of their target group is to wait by town centre stores or in parks and get chatting to those hanging around outside.