TONY BLAIR spoke of his primary school days when he attended an emotionally charged ceremony for school leavers in Newton Aycliffe.

Mr Blair heard 11-year-old pupils at Stephenson Way Primary School reveal their mixed feelings as they prepared to move on to secondary schools. Dancer Evan Lynch acted out their hopes and fears to music as 58 leavers filtered on to the stage before the Prime Minister.

Mr Blair said: "I can remember back all those years, when you leave your first proper school you feel happy and you feel sad at the same time. You are leaving all your friends and teachers who have helped you so much, but there will be new friends, new adventures and new things to learn."

Mr Blair was fulfilling a promise to return to the school made when he opened a Christmas fair there in 1996..