THE headteacher of Britain's second oldest nursery school has told of her honour at visiting Downing Street for an education conference.

Pat Pennington, of George Dent Nursery in Darlington, which opened in 1917, visited Number 10 on Monday for the conference looking at future learning.

She was invited in recognition of the nursery's success and was one of 70 delegates from a range of schools around the country.

She even brought back a memento of her trip back, after asking Prime Minister Tony Blair if it would be possible to have a picture.

The Sedgefield MP signed a photograph for Mrs Pennington, which she plans to have framed and put on the nursery wall.

She said: "It was a really wonderful experience and I enjoyed it tremendously. I just wish the children, staff and parents could have shared it.