OPERA went glam at a Cleveland school this week - to the delight of pupils and staff.

Making their only appearance in the area, OperaBabes were at Teesside High School on Tuesday.

While Karen England and Rebecca Knight might have looked like members of a pop group, their soaring voices told a different story.

The school in Eaglescliffe was an early stop on a two-week tour of the country to try to broaden opera's appeal and dispel what is thought to be a stuffy image.

About 250 pupils packed the school hall to hear OperaBabes sing three arias, including a surprise version of Ave Maria, and then answer questions on anything from how to become an opera singer to what it was like to sing in front of 70,000 soccer fans at cup finals.

Ms England, 28, said: "We don't just appeal to classical audiences and we want to further regional awareness of who we are and encourage young and old to accept that opera is not as they might think.

"We chat and dress like normal girls and hopefully the youngsters will go away thinking opera is not boring."

The schools tour is an exciting development since the duo shot to fame last year after being spotted busking in London by a representative from an events management company.

"This is such a new thing for us," said Ms England. "It has been a real whirlwind and a bit daunting as I think it is the first tour of its kind."

The OperaBabes' visit was arranged by the school's head of music, Paul Carter.

"They are a young, dynamic duo and ideal for getting young people to relate more to opera," he said. "People tend to think of opera as very stuffy yet it is just musical theatre and we want our pupils to get a new perspective on it."