THE crew of a Royal Navy warship took on a tough challenge yesterday - a game of football against a village primary school.

A team of eight sailors from HMS Hurworth, a minesweeping vessel, took on the squad of 14 from the school at Hurworth-on-Tees, near Darlington.

The crew beat the school team 4-2 in the game, which was played as part of the sailors' efforts to build links with their namesake village.

HMS Hurworth, like her fellow 12 mine clearing ships, is named after a famous hunt.

Mark Allison, head of Hurworth Primary School, said: "I think everyone involved had a really enjoyable time. The children were actually far more skilful - it was just brute force and speed and power that won the crew the day.