SCARECROWS have been given a fashionable makeover by schoolchildren.

Pupils from Shildon designed the scarecrows for nearby Low Deanery Farm for a technology project.

Eleven year 7 students from Sunnydale Community College for Maths and Computing were given the challenge to design scarecrows for the farm because pigeons ruin its cabbages.

Low Deanery Farm is renowned locally for using fertilizer from its Vietnamese pot bellied pigs to grow vegetables, herbs and fruit.

Farm manager Heather Powles said: "We have been having problems with pigeons for a while now. We have lost nearly 500 cabbages, so we thought getting the local schools involved would be a great idea.

"The scarecrows look fabulous and they will do a good job of scaring the birds away. We are very grateful to the school for their involvement."

Teacher Yvonne Scott said: "I think it's a terrific idea because it gets the children used to helping out in the community and makes them more ecologically aware.

"This project counts towards their technology coursework and was a fun and educational task."

Josh Flatman, 11, said: " I had fun designing my scarecrow.

"It was different to the normal things we do in school."

Beth Alderson, 12, who chose an Eighties style for her scarecrow, said: "I wanted to theme my scarecrow as disco style, so I dressed it in bright colours and gave it some funky beads. Hopefully, it will scare the birds away as it is so bright."

The scarecrows will be placed in the fields over the next two weeks, and pedestrians and motorists in Adelaide Bank, Shildon, will be able to see them as they pass the farm.