NORTH-EAST actress Wendy Craig has opened a new performing arts suite named after her at her former school.

The actress, best known for TV sitcoms And Mother Makes Three and Butterflies, opened the Wendy Craig Performing Arts Suite, at Durham High School for Girls, on Saturday.

Ms Craig told pupils: "I wanted to be an actress since I was two years old. When I came here when I was five, we never had a wonderful performing area like this. All we had was a hut.

"I remember my first part in the Cock, the Mouse and the Little Red Hen, I was the Little Red Hen."

The actress, brought up in Sacriston, County Durham, was joined by the Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend Mark Bryant, Durham Mayor Bob Wynn, Durham City MP Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods, school staff and pupils past and present.

Headteacher Ann Templeman said: "We very much want our facility to be made available to the whole community."

The centre, including rehearsal rooms and a stage, was opened at the same time as the redeveloped Salter Wing, named after Irene Salter - the school's headteacher from 1958 to 1978.