A DARK and dingy underpass has been brightened up by a team of young volunteers,

The tunnel that runs under the A167 and links the north end of Chester-le-Street town centre with the Riverside Park has been given a makeover by a Prince’s Trust team.

The 14 young people, who are aged between 16 and 25 and are not in work or education or training, are on a programme to boost their skills and their employability.

As part of the scheme they have to do a project that benefits the community and they chose to create a mural that would make the underpass a more pleasant place.

The mural features inspiring sayings and quotations such as “we are all in the gutter but some of us are looking up at the stars”, ,“every day is a second chance”and “trust yourself, you know more than you think you do”.

As well as choosing and planning the project , the team have also been raising the money to buy the materials to do the work.

They have done a bag pack at the Tesco supermarket near Chester-le-Street Market Place and plan to do a sponsored walk wearing fancy dress on Thursday (October 29) from the town to Sunderland,, a distance of more than ten miles.

The young people have worked with a local artist, Laura Tallentire, who has given them important tips on how to make the mural look as good as possible.

Prince’s Trust team leader Chris Elder said: “They have put little illustrations up as well."

Mr Elder added that the designs would be coated to make them graffiti-proof.