ASPIRING designers have been drawing up plans to create a fun children's area at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Six art and design students at Darlington College of Technology were asked by casualty staff to make three rooms in accident and emergency more child-friendly with a budget of £500.

Darlington Memorial Hospital sister Jean Carney asked them to look at the children's waiting area, a toddlers' treatment room and an area for adolescents.

"A&E can be a frightening place for children," she said.

"They arrive feeling unwell or hurt, often without their parents, so you need a place that is environmentally friendly and comforting. Having the right environment can also be useful for distraction therapy."

The money to pay for the work was raised in memory of hospital porter Alec Austin, who died last year.

Sister Carney will now choose the winning designs and work will start on the rooms later this year.