MORE than 250 children from across the region got an impression of life as a slave yesterday.

The 274 youngsters, most aged 11 to 14, laid side-by-side on a life-sized diagram of an Atlantic slave trade ship, re-creating the cramped conditions endured by Africans during their forced journey to the Americas.

The pupils, from schools in Willington, Durham City, Chester-le-Street, Wallsend, in North Tyneside, and Ryton, on Wearside, laid on a drawing of the Brookes ship as part of an educational day at Durham Cathedral.

Images of the Brookes were used by anti-slavery campaigners in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The educational visit was organised by Unicef and Durham University library to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the outlawing of slavery and draw attention to modern-day slavery, which is thought to affect 20 million people worldwide.

Sarah Price, from Durham University library, said: "We wanted to show the children just how bad conditions were on the slave ships.

"You can look at pictures and see it was crowded, but it is not until you experience it for yourself you realise how awful it was."

Fourteen-year-old Jake Littlemore, from The Hermitage School, in Chester-le-Street, was one of the pupils to take part in the day. He said: "It was really uncomfortable lying there - very crowded and cramped."