DOZENS of children swapped plastic building bricks for the real thing cementing further relationships between their Darlington school and a college.

The construction department at Darlington College of Technology gave some expert tips to 30 youngsters, aged four and five, from the town's Harrowgate Hill Infants School.

"They have been doing a three-week project on building," said headteacher Margaret Ann Cunningham.

"We have been using plastic bricks and dissolvable cement. But at the college, we were able to use real bricks.

"I'm sure some of the pupils will grow up to be builders one day so it's important to get a feel for what it will be like.

"The children absolutely loved it at the college. We have always had good contacts with them."

Some years ago college construction students built a playhouse in the school grounds.

"The children had been to a brick factory and helped make one with a mouse on it. This was used and gave rise to the building's name - the mouse house."