ARTISTIC youngsters have delved into the realms of fantasy to come up with designs for a storybook. Bishopton Redmarshall Primary School, near Stockton, invited freelance journalist John Dean to help pupils with creative writing projects.

He produced The Princess's Party, a fairytale book, and was asked if his children, Michael, eight, and Laura, six, would provide the illustrations. The Abbey Infant and Junior School pupils, and eight-year-old friend and fellow pupil Adam Brown, all from Darlington, came up with the designs and were guests of honour at an assembly at Bishopton school yesterday.

Bishopton headteacher Nell Morgan said: "John has had a great impact on our pupils. He has fostered creativity in the lower school."