ABOUT 25 schoolchildren and their parents took part in a sponsored bike ride at the weekend.

The group from Hummersknott School and Language College took a ten-mile round trip on bikes from the school to Archer's Jersey ice-cream parlour in Walworth Gate.

The group is raising money to pay for two mosaic murals, which they will design and create with a professional artist.

The mosaics will be about 10ft long and will incorporate the new school logo.

They will represent the school's participation in the Bike It project, which tries to encourage more pupils to walk or cycle to school.

Saturday's bike ride was organised by Vicki Hill, a Bike It officer, with the help of Darlington Borough Council.

Louise Neale, a school travel advisor for the council, said: "It was a great day. "Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and some of the parents couldn't believe they had cycled that far."

National Bike to School week takes place from April 24 to 28. Three Darlington schools are involved in the Bike It scheme - Hummersknott, Abbey Junior School and Heathfield Primary School.

Encouraging pupils to take to bikes also saw the opening of a new bike shelter at another Darlington school last week.

Darlington Mayor Stella Robson opened the infant and junior bike shelters at Abbey Junior School, and there was a raffle competition with a new bike for the winner.

On Wednesday, parents and children at Heathfield Primary will cycle to school and the Mayor will unveil 16 large mosaics, created by pupils and featuring healthy ways to travel to school.