DOZENS of Hartlepool youngsters cheered England's football team back to winning ways at St James's Park.

Young people from across the town were invited to the international match in Newcastle to see the 3-0 victory against Ukraine on Wednesday night.

The children were all guests of the Football Association and the Government Office for the North East, which provided hundreds of complimentary tickets for young people from across the region.

Liam O'Keefe, 16, one of whose who attended the game, said: "I've been to see Newcastle and Hartlepool a few times but I don't think any of us have been to an England match before.

"It was great to see England win. It was quite easy for them in the end and they all played well."

Hartlepool Community Network, which represents voluntary and community groups in the town, and Hartlepool New Deal for Communities (NDC) helped organise the trip and representatives accompanied the children to the match.

Many of those who travelled were from the NDC area as well as several regulars from the Belle Vue Youth Club.

Sir Trevor Brooking, director of football development at the FA, said: "We wanted to allow as many young people as possible the opportunity to see their England heroes and demonstrate that football can be accessible to everybody."