CHILDREN have created illuminated dogs as part of an annual school project to make their own version of the Durham Lumiere light spectacular.

Pupils at Newker Primary School, in Chester-le-Street, created the light-up animals to raise money for St Oswald's Hospice, based in Newcastle, using the charity's Great North Snow Dogs campaign as inspiration.

All the children designed their own snow dogs before the best ones from each class were chosen to be made and illuminated for the exhibition.

In total, there were 15 dogs for children and their parents to admire in the school grounds.

Teacher and organiser Gemma Hanson said: "It was great. We had a variety of different dogs. One was a Newker dog in the school jumper, we had an around the world dog with lots of different flags, we had an Elmer (the elephant) dog and a strawberry dog.

"The children have all worked so hard on it and they were so excited to look around and show their work to their parents.

"It's something the children look forward to each year and we always have it in January to give them something to look forward to when it's a bit bleak outside."

This is the fifth year the school has hosted a light show in January, inspired by the Lumiere light festival, which has been held in Durham four times since 2009.

Donations from the night will be split between school funds and St Oswald's Hospice.