A TOUGH police chief showed his gentle side when he turned storyteller as part of the launch a new book warning of stranger-danger.

Pupils from primary schools across County Durham and Darlington helped illustrate safety messages in a new interactive book entitled A Strange Day Out.

The book tells the tale of how PCSO Kerr and the canine cops - who tour primary schools promoting the Say No to Strangers message - encounter a variety of strangers and scenarios, some of which pose a potential risk to them or others, and how they deal with them.

Budding artists at all the primary schools across the force area were invited to take part in a competition to draw pictures to help illustrate six new safety messages incorporated in the book.

Competition winner, nine-year-old Lucy Kelly, of Tanfield Lea Primary School, Stanley, won an Ipad for her school.

The runners up, Emily Addison and Ruth Alderson, year-five pupils at St Joseph’s RC Primary in Coundon, received vouchers for their school, as did Conor Ternent, five, of Sacriston Junior School; Haydn Lancaster, 11, of Blackhall Colliery Primary and Rory Forster, of Heighington Church of England Primary School, Darlington.

The 50-page, full-colour activity book, written by local author Steve Arkley, was funded by the Durham Agency Against Crime and Durham County Council.

It was launched at an event at Count Hall in Durham.