TEENAGE footballers from the North-East are to take part in an unprecedented international youth tournament in Northern France.

Next week’s tournament marks the start of a year of events in the town of Albert, situated in the Somme region, to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

Durham Sixth Form Centre Football Academy, the only team from Great Britain to compete in The Tournoi de la Pentecôte, will be joined by one Belgian, two French and two German teams in a tribute to the Ypres Christmas truce of 1914.

James Oates, Head of Post-16 PE, said: “It’s a fantastic way to learn more about the history of the region and its role in the First World War.

“It’s something we don’t remember enough and it’s a massive honour for the school to be asked to come and represent England.”

The 15 students that make up the team have bought specially embroidered suits for the competition which will take place between May 17 and 20. They will be given the opportunity to visit war museums and battlefields on which many young men lost their lives.

The academy's participation was arranged by Durham County Council’s International Relations Office through a twinning agreement with the Department of the Somme.

Durham County Council has appealed for the European Commission to develop further school based research projects around the lives of soldiers and civilians from England and France during the First World War.