Harry Potter would have been proud of illusionist Daniel Hunt when he visited his old school to pass on his magical powers.

The 24-year-old magician left dozens of youngsters at Staindrop Comprehensive School, in Teesdale, County Durham, in awe as he demonstrated his skills.

He showed the pupils how to do card tricks and dazzled his audience with the help of his assistant, Chantal Gray.

As an ex-pupil, Daniel was keen to encourage youngsters to follow in his footsteps.

Last year, he visited the school and performed a trick that Houdini would have been proud of, in front of pupils and parents.

Daniel, from Butterknowle, made his show-stopping finale a real crowd-pleaser, as he escaped from a straight-jacket while suspended from a burning rope, with a bed of steel spikes below him.

Today, he will perform another jaw-dropping trick for parents and pupils outside the school, when he brings a picture to life.

He said: "It's great coming back to the school that I grew up in, and showing the pupils some of the tricks I've learnt over the years, and many of them really seemed to take to magic.

"I'm always really impressed with the amount of students that come to the workshops and learn about illusion and how it works.

"There are definitely a lot of pupils that could make magicians, and many of those that attended the workshops showed that they really do have talent."

Daniel forms half of the duo Amethyst with 20-year-old Chantal, plus help from his sister Karen, who came to the rescue at last year's performance when his assistant was ill.

He was just a child when he fell in love with illusion, and he admits his hero is Harry Houdini.

He said: "He was the ultimate illusionist and escapologist, and I even try to outdo many of his famous stunts."

To find out more about Daniel and his performances, visit the website at www.amethystillusions.co