NEW North-East trials to see whether taking fish oil can improve children's behaviour and learning have produced stunning results, experts say.

The trials involved giving a blend of natural fish oils to pre-school children and adolescents in County Durham.

They produced clear evidence the supplements can improve bonding between very young children and their parents.

Organiser Dr Madelaine Portwood, Durham County Council's senior education psychologist, suggested that supplements could be used to curb the increasing number of UK pupils being excluded from schools.

One of the new trials involved pupils aged 12 to 15 at Greenfield Community Arts College, in Newton Aycliffe, with behavioural problems.

Before the trial, 94 per cent had moderate or severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 94 per cent had poor attention and 89 per cent were severely impulsive.

After taking the blended oil supplement for three months, there were significant improvements in all areas.

Severe ADHD and impulsivity was cut to 28 per cent and severe inattention fell to 17 per cent of the cases.

Dr Portwood said the results of both trials were stunning.

She said that by taking the fatty acid supplement, pupils with persistent behavioural difficulties who were at risk of exclusion improved dramatically.

A similar trial involved giving fish oil to pre-school children aged from 18 months to three years in Peterlee, County Durham.

After five months, the number of parents who rated their children's behaviour as good or very good rose from 22 to 78 per cent.

Almost two-thirds of parents said their children's concentration was poor or very poor at the start of the trial, but none gave it that rating at the end.