YOUNGSTERS have been learning there is more to getting about than being chauffered by their parents.

Children at St Mary Magdalen School, in Seaham, were told about the alternatives to using the car when they took part in a project on sustainable transport.

Groundwork East Durham went into the school for six weeks to tell the pupils about road safety and the effects of vehicle pollution on the environment.

The Sustainable Transport Education Programme (Step) also suggested alternatives, such as walking and cycling.

The programme included a visit to Beamish Museum so pupils could learn about when steam power was king.

Groundwork East Durham project officer Libby Mahoney said: "Step encourages young people to think about the travel decisions that they make.

"By educating them when they are young they are more likely to make sustainable travel decisions in the future."

The children created drawings for a display about what they had learnt and were presented with certificates at the completion of the programme.