YOUNGSTERS at Ingleton CE school blasted off this week for a journey beyond the stars.

Theatrical group Spacefund arrived in County Durham for the first time on Wednesday with the interactive show Kids in Space.

The group was formed by "space cadets" Matt Fox and Jo Northway last year to teach and inspire young children about the wonders of space using props and demonstrations.

Ms Northway explained: "We take the children on an imaginary journey around the solar system stopping off at Mars to look for aliens and exploring how other planets orbit the sun.

"The children love to get involved in the show and they have great fun while learning about space at the same time."

Although the pair have toured many schools near their base in Canterbury, Kent, this was their first visit to County Durham.

"We took the show to a school in Newcastle this week so this is only our second show in the North-East," Ms Northway added. "It is a really beautiful part of the country and we would love to come back."

Head teacher, Mrs Judith Pressley, was very impressed with how the show captivated the children. She said: "The children certainly got an idea of what it would be like to visit each of the planets in our solar system.

"They were told what the temperatures would be like and how the different surfaces would look using beautiful props. It was a very noisy show and all the children had a great time. I would recommend all primary schools in the area to take this up."

For more details contact Spacefund on 01227 459485 or visit the website on www.spacefund.co.uk