A PLAY, funded by Lottery cash, will chart Thornaby's history from Roman times to the present day.

The £50,000 grant is to help pupils at Bader Primary School in Thornaby better understand the town's past.

Robert Smith, who runs the production company Plays4kids, has been appointed to write a musical to bring to life the history of Thornaby from Roman times.

The production will introduce Thornaby landmarks to the children, such as the former airfield and the Five Lamps, and will be performed by youngsters.

Mr Smith has teamed up with poet Maureen Almond, who grew up in Thornaby. Her poem, The Five Lamps, has been set to music for the play.

The school initiative is part of a greater project focusing on Thornaby's aeronautical past. The £50,000 has enabled a number of education and local history activities to be staged, including the installation of a full-size Spitfire model at the roundabout where Thornaby Road meets Bader Avenue.

Meanwhile, pupils at Mandale Mill Primary school have joined up with the Thornaby Gateway Spitfire Project to research the town's old airfield.

Councillor Alex Cunningham, cabinet member for children and young people, added: "This is a great project for the children not just to learn about a large slice of their local history but to help build bridges with older people who know about the airfield and the role it played in the Second World War."