A DAY of activities was held for the children of a former pit village to tell them how to stay safe and keep out of trouble with the law.

The Ushaw Moor Residents' Group staged its third family fun day in the grounds of Ushaw Moor Junior School yesterday.

As well as fun activities such as face painting, there was a more serious side to the event.

There were lessons in safety awareness for older youngsters and police security-marked bicycles so they can be reunited with their owners if they are stolen.

The county's fire brigade showed visitors what happens when a chip pan bursts into flames - as part of its campaign to encourage families to get rid of their chip pans - and the Prison Me - No Way project gave children a taste of life in a prison cell in the programme designed to discourage young people from a life of crime.

The youth advice and careers service Connexions was among the organisations that had stalls at the event, which Durham's mayor, the Independent councillor Jeff Lodge, visited