YOUNGSTERS at The Hermitage School, Chester-le-Street have marked National Science Week by finding out that science can be fun.

The school held an event for 500 pupils that gave them the chance to experience 'science in the real world'. It was designed to stimulate interest and included a range of experiments and presentations from organisations including Durham and Northumbria universities, the Consett chemical firm Thomas Swan, Proctor and Gamble and Durham County Council's science section.

Science teacher Lynden Astill said: "The idea was to give the students the chance to do hands-on fun experiments. We wanted to show science can be fun and interesting and encourage them to think of science as a subject to pursue and even a future career."