HUNDREDS of former pupils of a Catholic school said their final farewells to the building before it is demolished.

Former students and teachers of St Michael’s Catholic Academy, Billingham, took one last look around their old school building, on Beamish Road, before it closed its doors after 50 years of teaching.

The Academy, formerly St. Michael’s RC School, has been replaced by a multi-million pound new build, in front of the old school site, which opened to pupils this month.

The old building is due for demolition later in the year.

St Michael’s headteacher Andrew Ramsey said: “With the move into our new Academy and the old building closure imminent, we thought that it would be an important and valued gesture to invite all past students and teaching staff to come back to St Michael’s to have one final look around.

“It‘s wonderful to see so many people here because it is much more than just a building; it is somewhere that has embraced the whole community for over 50 years, somewhere that holds many memories for many people through good times and sometimes sad times."

Visitors were granted access all areas of the old school and were each presented with a book detailing the school's history from 1964 to the present day, which was written by retired history teacher and former assistant head Eddie Curran.

Mr Curran, who came to take one last look around his former workplace with fellow ex teachers Michael Doherty and Bill McNeill, said: “I feel quite emotional today - St Michael’s has been a huge part of my life since I started teaching here in 1970."