PRIMARY school pupils were taught about the dangers of bullying and how to deal with it as anti-bullying week began yesterday.

A special assembly was held at St Helen Auckland Community Primary School, where Gillian Cowburn, County Durham's anti-bullying co-ordinator, was joined by mascot Buddy to spread the message.

The school recently received anti-bullying accreditation for its work to stamp out the problem with a scheme where youngsters are appointed as 'buddies', 'mini-buddies' and mediators to ensure that nobody is left to deal with it on their own.

"We've done an awful lot of work over the last few years to make sure there's no bullying at St Helen's," said Ms Cowburn, who reminded pupils to tell a teacher or buddy if they are bullied.

"If someone's calling people names, you have to tell a bud or mini-bud," she said.

Ms Cowburn and Buddy also visited St John's RC Comprehensive School in Bishop Auckland yesterday, and today they will be at St Joseph's RC Primary School in Coundon and Bishop Barrington School and King James I Community College in Bishop Auckland.

Headteacher Maeve McKenzine said that different year groups will be staging anti-bullying assemblies throughout the week.

She added: "It's reinforcing the message which we put across all year."