FIVE pupils have become the first to collect Duke of Edinburgh awards since their school reintroduced the scheme two years ago.

The Year 11 pupils from Brank-some School, Darlington, completed community service and a project of personal interest as well as completing a two-day expedition in North Yorkshire to achieve their bronze awards.

And now the girls, Gemma Parr, Ailsa Brown, Christina O'Neill, Laura Bainbridge and Jennifer Hadland, have set their sights on their silver awards, which they plan to fit around their GCSEs.

The girls' projects included working with the Guide Assoc-iation cross stitch projects, tennis coaching and taekwondo