ELEVEN North-East schools are to benefit from a £3.6m lottery handout to modernise sports facilities and boost activity within the local communities.

Schools in Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Saltburn, Newcastle, South Shields, Washington and Whitley Bay have won a share of £71m being distributed nationwide from the New Opportunities Fund.

A school for children with multiple learning difficulties gets the largest amount - £1,155,500 to build a hydrotherapy unit and 18m training pool.

The facility at Sir Charles Parsons Special School, in Newcastle, will help nearly 2,000 youngsters and community users from the region.

Biddick School and Sports College, in Washington, has been awarded £1,060,000 for a health and fitness centre.

Alderman Leach Primary School is the only school in Darlington to receive money. The £75,000 will be used to develop a floodlit multi-use games area to be used by the pupils and those from surrounding schools as well as the local community.

The money will also provide four hours of expert sports coaching each week for two years.

Councillor Stephen Harker, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for education, said the facility will be in the heart of the West Park development.

"The cash will help us to provide not just the pupils with excellent sporting facilities but also the local community."

Nearly £200,000 has been awarded to Lanehead Outdoor Education Centre, at Coniston in the Lake District which provides courses and training for schools in Cleveland.

Schools in Hartlepool receiving money include Springwell School and Jesmond Road Primary School, both getting more than £56,000 for multi-use games areas. More than £60,000 will also go towards playground schemes at four primary schools in the town.