PUPILS have been learning the importance of pedestrian and pedal power as part of a study on transport.

Year six children at Newker Primary School in Chester-le-Street have been working with regeneration group Groundwork West Durham on a Sustainable Transport Education Programme (Step).

They have been looking at public transport, how cars damage the environment and health and road safety. They also went on a trip to Beamish Museum to look at how people used to travel.

On Monday, the children performed a presentation on what they had learned, for representatives from Groundwork. Dinah Jackson from the Countryside Agency, which funded the scheme, said: "Transport is an essential part of our daily lives. This scheme raises awareness of transport issues and encourages young people to make more informed choices about how they travel."