YOUNGSTERS enjoyed splashing around at a pool party in Darlington on Saturday to celebrate the opening of a new slide.

Clowns, jugglers, balloon modellers and a disc jockey got the party started as the blue slide at the Dolphin Centre, named Lightning by Andrew Harrison, seven, from Middleton St George in a council-run competition, opened on Saturday.

Runner-up in the competition, Nicole Harrison, was at the opening party and is looking forward to her own pool party with her classmates in November, which was her prize.

The slide, which features water jets, has taken several months to install in a series of overnight works to ensure minimum disruption to pool-users.

The centre's toddler pool will also reopen to the public this weekend, with added interactive features including character water-jets. The work cost £70,000.