YOUNG scribes have seen their first work published before they have even left primary school.

Primary pupils looked to the skies for inspiration when they were set the task of submitting poems for schoolchildren's poetry anthology Up, Up and Away.

Children from year four and five at Willington CE Primary entered their work in the competition and 23 of their poems appeared in the two regional anthologies.

The children received their second volume of the anthology yesterday, which was written entirely by schoolchildren in County Durham.

Deputy headteacher Sharon Stelling said: "They wrote poems on all sorts of themes and topics.

"It's a great opportunity to see their work in print. It's a real encouragement. It was great to see their faces when they saw the books."