TALENTED school pupils gathered for a gymnastics festival yesterday this week aimed at getting more youngsters interested in sport.

Pupils from 24 schools across Sedgefield borough performed energetic displays at Spennymoor Leisure Centre - home of South Durham Gymnastics Club.

Some of the club's members, including top junior gymnasts from the Great Britain squad, also performed individual displays at the event on Tuesday.

The event is the second gymnastics festival of its kind in the borough and is part of a school sports co-ordinator partnership, based at Sedgefield Community College, which unites schools to develop physical education.

School sports co-ordinator Diane Snowsill said: "Thirty schools in the area and the gym club have worked together to help develop teachers' skills and confidence when teaching gymnastics.

"Hopefully it will encourage some boys and girls to take part in gymnastics, which is a very important sport as movement and co-ordination are the basis for all activities.

"Most importantly, the festival has shown pupils the advantages of practice, team work and builds confidence."

The schools that took part in the festival were: Bishop Middleham Primary, Walworth School, Sugar Hill Primary, Sedgefield Community College, Stephenson Way Primary, Elmfield Primary, Trimdon Junior, Aycliffe Village Primary, Woodham Community Technology College, Woodham Burns Infants and Juniors, Vane Road Primary, Sedgefield Hardwick Primary, Rosa Street Primary, Whitworth School, Tudhoe Grange School, Tudhoe Colliery Primary, Middlestone Moor Primary, Ox Close Primary, Windlestone Hall School, The Meadows, St Charles RCVA Primary, West Cornforth Primary, Kirk Merrington Primary, North Park Primary.