PUPILS from 20 schools across Durham rose to a technology challenge at the county's new education development centre.

Staff from Durham's Information Technology service, which operates from the centre in Enterprise Way, Spennymoor, organised the three-day event to celebrate the high standard of computer technology work going on in Durham schools. Two of the days were devoted to creating newspapers, the first a historical report about an 1830s outbreak of cholera in Sunderland, and the second reporting on environmental issues.

A team from Our Lady and St Thomas School, Willington, won the first day's challenge, with Pittington Primary School in second place and Vane Road, in Newton Aycliffe, third. Runners up were Acre Rigg, Peterlee, Oxclose Primary, Spennymoor, Shotton Hall Junior, Peterlee, and St Joseph's RC, Stanley.

Joint winners on the second day were Bluecoat CE Juniors, from Durham City, and Pittington Primary, with Staindrop in second place and Acre Rigg Juniors, Peterlee, and Newker Primary, Chester-le-Street, third.

The theme changed for the third day when the challenge was to control floor robots using computers and Pittington Primary enjoyed victory over Trimdon Juniors.

Organiser Phil Blackburn said: "It was very successful. The overwhelming response from schools was to ask when we are doing it again."