PUPILS at a number of North-East schools have won a grant to improve their reading and writing skills.

A project by Middlesbrough Borough Council is one of just 100 schemes throughout the country to be awarded cash by the BT Reading Challenge.

The project, aimed at helping children to produce new and unusual reading material, has been awarded £2,000.

The children will work with writer Mick Gowar and composer Duncan Chapman early next year to produce their own stories and art work.

Their work will be displayed in public and five designs will be chosen to be professionally printed as posters and postcards, and distributed through the town. Residents will be invited to use the postcards to give the council their views on the children's work.

The youngsters will work on an original piece of musical theatre to mark the launch of the postcards.

Cathryn Drew, of Middlesbrough council said: "Many thousands of people will see the children's work, which is designed to challenge people to think about and actively respond to poetry and reading."

As well as the money from the BT scheme, the council will put £1,500 into the project and a further £2,000 is being provide by Northern Arts. A teacher's pack will be sent to schools and educational establishments to help others run similar projects.