PUPILS from five schools have taken part in a construction challenge.

The event was staged in workshops at New College Durham's Framwellgate Moor campus, in partnership with Durham Education Business Partnership.

Year ten pupils from Shotton Hall School, Peterlee, Wellfield Community School, Wingate, Durham Community Business College for Technology and Enterprise, Ushaw Moor, and Fyndoune Community College, Sacriston, took part in the event, which featured challenges in brickwork, plumbing, painting and tiling.

Keith Brown, curriculum leader for construction at the college, said: "Each of the challenges were differentiated in terms of technical content and difficulty of completion in the time allocated."

Shotton Hall School's team, with a majority of females, performed well but Wellfield Community School was the overall winner.

For information about construction courses at New College Durham contact 0191-375-4000 or visit www.newdur.ac.uk