PRIME Minister Tony Blair returned to the North-East yesterday to launch a CD-ROM on citizenship, devised by Rotary International.

During the visit to his Sedgefield constituency, Mr Blair was shown how the interactive programme works.

Wansbeck Rotarian Colin Sawyer, who created the series, said the programme was used to educate parents and children and showed sections on European politics, local government and the voting system.

Mr Blair said: "I think it is a fantastic innovation. It is using technology to get through to children, teachers and parents in ways which would have been unthinkable when I was younger.

"I congratulate Rotary on their vision in producing such a valuable and relevant resource and, more importantly, for making it available free to schools."

Mr Sawyer said: "Citizenship is an important subject area as it affects our everyday lives, so much so that it has now become a fundamental part of the National Curriculum."

The CD-ROM is the third in the Coping with Life series. The previous two focused on bullying and family change.

Rotary clubs have distributed more than 50,000 copies.