SCHOOLCHILDREN from Stockton enjoyed an hour of stories and belly laughs with author Jim Smith this week.

The pupils from Oxbridge Lane Primary, St Bede’s Catholic Academy and Bowesfield Primary were enthralled by the author, who introduced the youngsters to his ‘Barry Loser’ series – sharing funny stories from the books and teaching them how to draw Barry and his friends.

Councillor Norma Wilburn, Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for arts, leisure and culture, said: “It’s fantastic to see some of our young people really engaging with the joys of storytelling and illustration.”