A softplay centre in County Durham is set to introduce bespoke sessions for children with special educational needs.

Usually, a vivid environment with bright lights and loud tunes, Jumbo Jungle in Consett plans to dim the lights and turn off the music in these sessions to cater to children with special needs such as autism.

The sessions starting October 16, are set to take place every third Wednesday between 4pm until 6pm and have been organised by local families with SEND children.

An advertisement from Jumbo Jungle stated: "Music will be turned off and lights dimmed.

"All children with a range of additional needs and disabilities are welcome.

"We hope to see you there!"

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According to Jumbo Jungle's website, they offer "non-stop fun and games" that promise to "keep both adults and children happy for hours".

The sessions will cost £4.99 per child with adults allowed in for free.

The National Autistic Society says that many autistic people have sensory differences which means "they can experience over or under sensitivity to different sensory stimuli (for example, light or sound)."

"This can be a positive thing, but can also cause distress or discomfort," the organisation says.

NAS suggest that companies could dim lights and reduce the amount of noise in certain areas to provide a more accessible area for all customers of differing needs.

They also suggest that businesses introduce a 'quiet hour' if they can, to reduce overwhelming sensory issues for people.

Lidl stores in Northern Ireland offer quiet hours from 6pm-8pm every Tuesday evening, as do other supermarkets in the UK such as Morrisons and Asda.