EDUCATION chiefs have come up with a way to stop a school playing field flooding.

Children at Bishop Middleham Primary School near Sedgefield have been unable to properly use the field for three years and have been confined to a small playground.

Poor ground conditions, above average rainfall and rising groundwater, after mine water pumping stopped, have been blamed for the severe flooding problems which have hit the village.

A number of solutions have been suggested, including draining or relocating the field.

Durham County Council hopes it has come up with the answer. It plans to raise the field by 1.6 metres, above the level of the water table, and install a drainage system to remove surface water when it does rain.

The council is aiming to strip off 50cm of topsoil and deposit 35,000 tonnes of clay, from nearby farmland, across the field, before replacing the stripped soil.

A spokeswoman for Durham County Council said: "If the planning application is successful, we would hope to carry out the work during the school summer break."

Headteacher Jim Atkinson said the field was constantly marshy, even during summer months.

He said: "This really has had a detrimental effect on the children's play in leisure time and also has affected the curriculum in geography, science and physical education by limiting the use of school grounds.

"The flooding has also been a health and safety concern and we have had to have temporary fencing put round.

"This should solve our problem and ensure that the school can make maximum use of its facilities."

Elsewhere in the village, residents have played a part in transforming flooded allotments into a wetland garden for the community.