PUPILS at a primary school put the US presidential candidates to shame when they actually managed to declare a winner in their own classroom elections.

Children aged six to 11 nominated and elected candidates to stand on the pupil council at Cestria Primary School, in Chester-le-Street.

Pocket-size politicians spent weeks campaigning among classmates for the right to stand as class representative, highlighting their own strengths, qualities and policies.

Every child voted on the best candidate for each class and the winner in each case was declared an elected school councillor.

Meanwhile, a group of singing starlets from the school belted out Beatles hits and top tunes from Grease and The Lion King at a recent Young World Concert held at the Telwest Arena, Newcastle.

Organisers hoped that the concert, on Tuesday, would have raised at least £5,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital to fund new research, medical equipment and support families