TINY tots got on with their work as usual yesterday even though a very special visitor dropped in to their nursery.

The pupils at Wingate Nursery School, County Durham, were unfazed when Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in their innovative open plan building during a constituency visit.

Visibly impressed with the award- winning nursery, the Sedgefield MP chatted with headteacher Paddy Beels.

Mrs Beels, 56, who was named the country's best nursery teacher in 1999, was awarded the OBE last year for services to the community.

Mr Blair, whose son Leo, will soon be of nursery age, spent well over his scheduled time chatting to the youngsters, watching them play and listening to them sing.

Afterwards, he was given a conducted tour of the adjacent Wingate and Station Town Family Centre.

Mrs Beels said: "I think Mr Blair was both surprised and impressed with what he saw."

Later, Mr Blair reminisced with elderly residents during a visit to an award-winning home in his constituency. He called at the Feryemount Residential Home, in Ferryhill, to meet its 28 residents and staff.

The home is run by County Durham Care, part of Durham County Council's social services department, and has been awarded a Charter Mark and Investors in People status.

Mr Blair took part in a reminiscence session, including a slide show of the history of weddings.

Julie Calvert of County Durham Care said: "The residents really found him wonderful."

At the end of the visit, Mr Blair was presented with an audio copy of Time Flies, a book of memories of the last century.

It was written by some of the residents, with County Durham Care's other residential and day service users throughout the county