More than 400 young people in the North-East who were branded difficult pupils have celebrated turning their school lives around.

The xl Celebration Day at the Puma Tennis Centre, Sunderland, marked the achievements of pupils, some considered at risk from exclusion from 30 schools across the region. They took part in activities including circus skills workshops, street dance and basketball skills.

The Prince's Trust xl programme is a team-based programme of personal development for students aged 14 to 16, in their last two years of compulsory education.

The programme helps people who are facing difficulties at school, including those at risk of exclusion and those underachieving through poor attendance, poor behaviour or low self-esteem.