YOUNG people who use sign language to perform songs have been given a VIP tour of a marine unit.

Children from the choir of the Northern Counties School in Jesmond, whose ages range from six to sixteen, visited Viking Park in Jarrow and got to chat to divers.

The youngsters were shown the decompression chamber which is used to train diver’s bodies for deep water, and the indoor seven-metre deep dive training tank, the only one of its kind in the country.

They also learned about how search and rescue teams operate, everything from sonar search capabilities to how divers gather evidence from the riverbeds, and went out on the water to experience the boats first-hand.

Marine Unit Sergeant Suzanne Crossley said: “The children were incredibly excited to come and meet us and the feeling was mutual. They were all so lovely and very eager to learn about what we do.”