PRIMARY schoolchildren who gave up their time to organise a charity sale have raised £260.

When five pupils from Cestria Primary School, Chester-le-Street, watched the plight of African villagers struggling without clean water on Blue Peter, they returned to school determined to raise money for the television programme's WaterWorks Appeal.

The campaign involves raising money to buy taps, pumps and equipment that will be used to supply villages in Tanzania and Uganda with clean water.

Laura Gibb, ten, Dominic Snaith, ten, Ashlee Nesbitt, 11, Rebecca Marshall, 11 and Daniel Young, ten, approached headteacher Paul Thompson, wanting to organise a bring and buy sale.

For two weeks they gave up playtimes and lunchtimes to organise the sale and a raffle, which was held at the school on March 7.

Mr Thompson said: "The group have shown great initiative and have worked hard to achieve this excellent result for such a good cause.

"I am very proud of them."