TALENTED youngsters have taken to the stage at a music, speech and drama festival.

Dozens of children gathered at Teesdale Comprehensive School, Barnard Castle, to compete for trophies in a range of performing arts.

The Teesdale Music, Speech and Drama Tournament attracted youngsters from Middlesbrough, Bishop Auckland and Teesdale.

Categories included newsreading, poetry, public speaking, solo acting, mime, Bible reading, group improvisation and hymn singing.

More than 60 trophies were presented. Top awards went to Laura Bury, of Middlesbrough, in the young musicians' championship; Melissa Taylor, of Leyland, in the junior speech championships; Sarah Jane Gargett, of Bishop Auckland, in the intermediate speech championships; and George Inman, of Kimblesworth, in the senior speech championship.

The tournament director, Dorothy Jones, said: "The quality of the performances has been highlighted by the adjudicators, who were impressed with the hard work that had gone into them."