Children rolled up their sleeves and put their backs into tidying up of community park.

Youngsters from three local schools took part in the litter pick and environmental fun day at Blackhill and Consett park.

More than 40 pupils from Delves Lane Primary, Moorside Primary and Moorside Community College became 'pickers' for the day, backed by Derwentside District Council refuse staff, with St John Ambulance volunteers on hand.

They were given environmental advice and told of the importance of recycling, before taking part in a warm-up exercise and beginning the litter pick. Along the way there was a chance for bird and tree spotting, to answer questions on a quiz trail and hunt for hidden letters to compile a sentence.

The winner of a slogan contest was Chantelle Boadman, of Moorside Community College. She won an MP3 player for her effort: "I can keep my environment tidy by not being mean and keeping the environment clean."