PRIMARY school pupils have celebrated the opening of an adventure playground.

Children at West Pelton Primary School were fully involved in drawing up the plans, after West Pelton Parish Council made a gift of £10,000.

Headteacher John Heron said that when the pupils were asked what they would like to do with the money, they were unanimous in choosing an adventure playground.

He said: "The pupils held a series of meetings, in groups of ten, in the assembly hall to exchange ideas about what they wanted.

"A representative from each group then met with Andrew Wood, of Education and Special Projects, a firm specialising in designing play areas.

"The pupils described their plans and he drew up a design. The finished plans were brought to the school and children, being children, modified them."

The youngest pupil involved in the design project was Paige Hull, four, and the eldest was 11-year-old Sarah Lambert.

The adventure playground includes swing bridges, climbing frames and swinging tyres.

Mr Heron said: "There will be many positive spin-offs.

"Pupils will learn about give and take and it will give them something extra to do, apart from playing football and other play activities.