THE last thing youngsters on an alternative energy project expected yesterday was to find themselves left in the dark.

More than 40 pupils on a school summer scheme turned up for a project on alternative energy sources - to find the building had been the victim of a power cut.

The year six and seven pupils on the ten-day scheme at Wolsingham School and Community College, County Durham, had to rely on solar power to get them through their work.

The scheme on sustainable energy includes looking at ways of being energy-efficient and designing equipment using alternative energy sources.

Much of the children's work involved making a solar-powered buggy and a solar-powered house - so they had no need to rely on traditional sources of energy.

About 3,000 homes and businesses had their electricity supply cut off shortly before 8am when a number of conductors broke in the Park Wall area of Wolsingham. Most people had their power restored by 1pm.

John Maddison, assistant headteacher at Wolsingham, who is running the energy summer scheme, said: "It was just so ironic - there we were doing sustainable energy and there was no power.

"I think we did really well. If anything it highlighted what we were trying to say and our activity went on as normal."

A dozen pupils also turned up from St John's RC Comprehensive, in Bishop Auckland, to interview the summer school youngsters as part of their own journalism project.

A spokeswoman for North East Distribution said the areas affected included Wolsingham, Tow Law, Roddymoor and Billy Row. The conductors were repaired and power was set to be restored to all properties by 4pm.