A 103-year-old was among 200 former pupils of a Catholic girls' school who attended a 100th anniversary reunion on Saturday.

Rose Prior, who lives in Middlesbrough, cut the cake at the reunion of pupils from the Immaculate Conception Grammar School, Darlington, which closed in 1975.

When she started at the school in 1906, King Edward VII was on the throne in Britain and the first radio broadcast was made.

Angela Stevenson, who helped organise the event, said: "We were very pleased Rose Prior could attend and cut the cake, I think she was at the school from being five-years-old, so she was delighted to be there.

"The Prior family was a big family in Darlington, very well-known."

About 200 old girls travelled from around the world to attend the reunion and anniversary.

Pupils flew in from Australia, Canada, Luxemburg and Spain, to celebrate with their former classmates and some of the nuns who had taught them.

The reunion started with a Mass at St Augustine's Church, in Darlington, followed by buffet at The Grange Hotel in the town, which used to be the school.

The hotel was closed to the public as the former pupils viewed displays of old photos and other memorabilia.

The building was formerly the home of Edward Backhouse, a prominent Quaker who founded Barclays Bank, it was then bought by Joseph Pease, who founded the Stockton to Darlington railway. He extended the house and called it Southend.

Roman Catholics bought the house in the early 20th Century and it became the convent school, run by the Sisters of Charity, also known to pupils as Southend School.

But in 1975 it closed as it was merged with the boys grammar school to create Carmel Comprehensive School.

Mrs Stevenson, 59, from Heighington, said: "It was wonderful for people to have time with pupils they hadn't seen for years and having it there at the hotel, which used to be the school, was very special."

She grew up in Barton and attended the school between 1954 and 1960.

It provided education for girls of kindergarten age to 18-year-olds.

"The ages of the former pupils at the reunion ranged from in their 40s to 103, so that was fantastic, and with some of the nuns attending as well, it was great," she added.

"I think everyone is considering what we should do next year."