YOUNG people at County Durham schools are showing off their friendship links to a worldwide audience.

A series of four posters with the theme "making links, making friends, making sense of the world" are to go on show at Durham Tees Valley airport from next Monday.

The posters will tell thousands of tourists and business visitors how pupils have teamed up with young people from 44 nations.

Durham County Council's international officer, Brian Stobie, said: "The posters will give a little flavour of the wonderful things our schools do to help youngsters understand what life is like for young people in different countries.

"They show primary, special and secondary schools with their partners in three different countries while a fourth poster highlights all the nations linked to our schools.

"The posters are bright and colourful with lots of smiling faces and will be seen by thousands of people who use the airport at this time of the year from across Britain and by international visitors.

"When you consider that our schools now have links with 44 different countries that we know of, it is really something to be proud of."

The posters feature St. Bede's RC Comprehensive Lanchester, with their partners at Costa Viana in Brazil, Durham Trinity and Viano do Costelo in Portugal, Our Lady and St Thomas RC Primary Willington and Kivulini Primary School in Tanzania.

All European countries have links, as well as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Gambia, Guyana, Iceland, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turks and the US.