A Brighton and Hove school soap opera has gone on line in an attempt to tackle bullying.

A web site dedicated to the subject is the latest strategy in the city's three-year anti-bullying project.

The Coastkids site, the first of its kind in Britain, explores the school and home lives, the families and friendships of nine pupils at a city school.

The characters, created with the help of pupils from Blatchington Mill School, Hove, and Fairlight Primary School, explore bullying, touching on a range of issues, including racism, homophobia, sexism and weight.

It also encourages children to question the reasons behind bullying and its effect on individuals.

Visitors to the web site can follow each character's storyline and can offer advice on the various situations.

It also gives advice on how to deal with bullying and details increasingly common methods, such as bullying by text message, email or on a web site.

It has been created by Dr Chris Gaine, of University College Chichester, for Brighton and Hove City Council.

Youngsters who helped him develop the site were among the first to see it on their computer screens at its official launch at Blatchington Mill School yesterday.

Their initial verdict was positive. Several said the web site would have helped them through the trauma of their experiences of bullying.

Amy Kite, 15, said: "They have worked so hard on the graphics and how they presented it.

"If something on a computer looks boring, you won't go on to it but this attracts you.

"I've not been bullied but I think it's too easy for people to say go to a teacher or an adult. It's not always that easy."

Gemma Hill, 15, was bullied at primary school when a group of friends turned against her. She said: "You feel you're the only one. The web site is good because it shows you're not alone."

Teachers have also welcomed the site.

Longhill School special needs co-ordinator Fiona Barton said it would be an excellent classroom resource for stimulating discussion about bullying.

She said: "I'm also very interested in using it with individuals, especially if there is an issue with bullying.

"I think a lot of students feel as though teachers don't always broach this subject.

"We have tried to make it much more high profile and have created a climate where it is okay to tell. That has been the great stigma. We're trying to say it's cool to tell."

The web site is at www.coastkid.org