YOUNGSTERS have been playing scientific detectives in a bid to solves a 70 million-year-old mystery.

Pupils at Crakehall Primary School, near Bedale, North Yorkshire, were given a variety of clues in the puzzle of who or what killed Trixie the Triceratops? as part of National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Week, running throughout this week.

Mike Windle, a director of the North East Yorkshire Geology Trust, brought the dinosaur in to the school with details and the background to life in North Yorkshire 200 million years ago.

Budding geologists in the school's reception, key stage one and key stage two were given clues including rocks and fossils, had to form a logical conclusion and present their evidence to Mr Windle.

After the event, for the first time a group of pupils in KS2 came up with the correct conclusion as to why the species disappeared from earth more than 65 million years before humans evolved.

The NE Yorkshire Geology Trust has surveyed the North York Moors National Park and Yorkshire Wolds, and other sites of geological interest.

Teacher Liz Latta said: “This is an inspired way of teaching science.

"Some of our young people showed that they are budding geologists by coming up with the correct conclusion. It has got our science week off to a flying start.”