YOUNG adventure-seekers were sent on a treasure quest to make maths more appealing this week.

Treasure Islands is a pirate-themed series of maths sessions designed to capture the imagination of primary school children from 50 schools across County Durham.

County Hall in Durham was playing host to 1,200 youngsters, aged five to 11, all aiming to overcome the pirates and complete the tricky maths challenge.

Teenagers from Deerness Valley Comprehensive at Ushaw Moor, helped with the three-day maths festival by performing some of the role-play. Shirley Falls, from the county council's education development service, said: "This is our fourth Durham Primary Maths Challenge and in the past we've had children and adults dressed as aliens, Victorians, and Phileas Foog-types, travelling the world."