A Comprehensive school's pupils have raised £1,000 in two months after forming their own charity committee.

Teenagers at Sedgefield Community College set up the committee to help them to decide to which charity their fundraised cash should go to.

After two months of lollipop sales, Easter egg hunts, fancy dress competitions and raffles, they decided the Teenage Cancer Trust should benefit.

Headteacher Lynn Ackland said: "It is really a novel idea because the pupils decide themselves who the money should go to. They interviewed seven charities and really put them through their paces.

"Finally they chose the cancer charity because, unusually and very sadly, we have three children at the school who have suffered from cancer."