THIS week, 15 years ago, pupils in Middleton St George thought their class goldfish was finished when a fire swept through the school.

Staff and pupils were worried for Shiny the goldfish after arsonists attacked the village primary school.

But firefighters who were called in to tackle the blaze found the two-year-old fish and carried it to safety in its bowl.

The pupils and goldfish were moved temporarily to the old Firthmoor Primary School building in Darlington.

Acting headteacher Janine Gleeson said the children were delighted that Shiny had survived and would be joining them in their temporary home.

She said: "Shiny is the year three class pet and the children were so happy when they found out he was all right.

"He is at the new school now and will stay here until we move back to Middleton St George in four weeks."

Meanwhile teachers from Yarm school were inspired by the reality show ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!’ in an unusual charity event.

Nine teachers volunteered to be locked in the school’s resource centre for three days while pupils got to decide who stayed and who went home to raise money for Butterwick Hospice, RNLI, Teesside Hospice, Multiple Sclerosis and Macmillan Cancer Care.

Each day they faced mental and physical challenges set by the headteacher, followed by a vote for three teachers to be "evicted" from their makeshift prison.

One of the teachers taking part was deputy head Phil Hardy, who was confident to win the top prize of an overnight stay in the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm.

Mr Hardy said: "We are all quite happy to be taking part because it is for a good cause. I am looking forward to it."

Police unveiled a cannabis haul worth more than £100,000 from a remote farmhouse near Stanley.

More than 100 cannabis plants were found when a team of bailiffs – on the farm to repossess a car – called in police after the vehicle's owner threatened them.

Uniformed officers checked the house and found what detectives described as a sophisticated set-up, with hydroponic lights and heaters used to accelerate the plants' growth.

The 12-week-old plants were already mature, giving each a street value of about £1,000.