STUDENTS are to learn more about local government in two events to mark Local Democracy Week.

The focus for the events on Friday will be a drama production, called Who Runs This Place? from the Solent People's Theatre.

The show, at Hartlepool Civic Centre, will tell the story of Malcolm Nugget, a delivery driver whose quest to fix a blocked drain leads him on a journey into the world of local government.

The informative and lively show draws on a number of well-known movies, from the Matrix to the Wizard of Oz.

High-quality multimedia animations and music also help to get across the subject matter.

A workshop, How Democracy Works, will follow the performance, exploring the idea of democracy, its history and problems associated with it.

Students from English Martrys, Manor, Brierton, Dyke House and High Tunstall schools, in Hartlepool, will be involved, and all 46 councillors, along with Mayor Stuart Drummond, have been invited to attend.

Mr Drummond said: "We are always looking to encourage young people to take more of an interest in local affairs and, from past experience, students normally excel at events like this.