THE WINNERS of a competition have seen their designs transformed into full-size decorations.

Jasmine Charlton, seven, and Rachel Slattery, 10, of Finkle Primary School, and Katie Hughes, eight, of Ushaw Moor Infants School, beat off competition from throughout County Durham to have their ideas adopted. They were each presented with certificates and framed copies of their designs from Mayor Ray Gibbon and Durham City Forum chairman Richard Toynbee.

Their finished designs will be incorporated into Durham's Christmas lights display.

The three will be VIPs at the big switch-on this Sunday, which will begin at 1.30pm with the Pittington Primary School Brass Band followed by Gala Stage School giving excerpts from their production of Wiz.

This will be followed by the Gala Panto cast of Cinderella. At 4.30pm the lights will be switched on by Cain Dingle from Emmerdale, accompanied by the mayor.