LIFE through the eyes of County Durham's youngsters has gone on display.

Our Time, Our Place, Our Lives, is an exhibition of art by young people from more than 100 of the county's schools.

The show opened at Durham Art Gallery, Aykley Heads, Durham City, on Saturday.

Education director Keith Mitchell presented the top prize to six-year-old Adam Gailes, of Consett, for his depiction of a lollipop lady helping somebody across the road.

Durham County Council chairman Councillor John Richardson said: "This is a major exhibition in which young people from the ages of three to 18 have made a personal and artistic response to their surroundings.

"They express feelings and communicate ideas about what their lives are like, what they enjoy and what they think is important.

"It's a very personal exhibition that not only gives a flavour of the liveliness and vibrancy of our young people, but also shows their developing skills and the progress they make in art as they go through their school lives.

The exhibition, which runs until February 4, has been organised by Carolyn Earlam, the county council's education inspector with special responsibility for visual and performing arts.

She said: "There was a huge entry and it has been impossible to display it all.

"The work highlights just some of the variety and very high quality of work to be seen in our schools, and represents the hard work of many dedicated teachers and their pupils."

As well as exploring ideas about their families, friends, school, where they live, and holidays, the young artists express their hopes and fears for the future through painting, drawing, collage, print-making, textiles and sculpture.