A SCHOOL has won £2,000 after coming first in a national anti-vandalism competition run by the Home Office.

Year nine students from Bishop Barrington School, in Bishop Auckland, entered the competition along with 250 other schools in the UK.

They produced a DVD, called the Geraldine Kyle show, which featured 13 pupils acting out the popular television show outlining the effects of vandalism.

The film is now being used across County Durham schools as part of a teaching package, called Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

Gary Cawley, criminal damage policy leader for the Government office for the North-East, said: "I am really pleased on behalf of the Home Office to make a presentation to the winners of such a highly significant challenge, who are from our region.

"The work which the students put into producing the show has obviously paid off as the production is of exceptionally high standard and gets the message across in an entertaining yet easily accessible way."

Helen Smith, the school's drama teacher who helped with the production said: "We took two days putting the film together and the students came up with all the different characters for the talk show.

"I want to issue a big thanks to Les Watts who helped with all the editing and I am so proud of my drama group."

Ian Butler, acting chief inspector of Durham Police said: "The staff and students should feel very proud."