PARENTS and children got their hands dirty as part of a family learning weekend on Teesside.

SureStart East Cleveland organised the day of activities at its community allotment in Liverton Mines on Sunday.

Visitors tried their hand at making simple garden furniture and bird feeders from scraps of wood, making collage pictures from natural materials, painting a banner for the allotment fence, took part in games and were given advice about gardening.

Allotment produce provided a lunch of vegetable soup at the SureStart Community Caf, in Skinningrove's Riverside Building.

SureStart community worker Pip Daniels said: "The allotment is aimed at encouraging families and communities to work together on something enjoyable and productive."

The event was organised by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council as part of its Family Learning Weekend which aims to encourage parents to get back into learning for themselves and so they can teach their own children.

Twenty-one sessions took place across the borough, including computer skills, healthy eating, weight management, painting, arts and crafts and Indian head massage.