TALENTED pupils from a Darlington school have won an award in a national writing competition.

Children from Croft Church of England Primary School demonstrated journalistic flair in their entry entitled Newsflash.

Mark Millman, Simon Walton, Lydia Armstrong, Harry Evans and Jenny Young took part in Write Here, Write Now.

The ten-year-olds scooped the Yorkshire and Humberside Journalism Award in the competition.

Children who participated completed opening lines by writers Gillian Cross, Brian Patten and Nick Arnold and wrote a story, a poem, or a piece of persuasive writing.

They could also follow journalism advice from Lizo Mzimba on how to write a news report.

All the winning entries have been published in a Write Here, Write Now book published by Oxford University Press.

The children won a range of prizes, including software, digital cameras and family tickets to Legoland, Windsor.