CHILDREN from County Durham put on a show for visitors to the Millennium Dome.

About 80 pupils, from four schools, staged a song and dance performance at the attraction at Greenwich, London, yesterday.

An estimated 500 people saw three shows portraying Durham, the River Wear, the cathedral, the area's mining history and life in the region today.

The performances ended with a song composed by the children and sung by the entire cast, called We Are The Voices Of The Future.

Puppets which had been made by the children, representing authority figures such as the Bishop of Durham, were paraded around the Dome.

Schools involved were Tanfield Comprehensive, near Stanley, Moorside Comprehensive, Consett, Belmont Comprehensive, Durham, and Dene Community School of Technology, Peterlee. Various feeder primary schools also took part.

Caroline Redman, project co-ordinator, said the day had been a big success.

She said: "The performances went well and the children really enjoyed it. They were cool, very professional and showed good discipline on stage.

"It's been a very busy day. The children all worked extremely hard on the performances and were very excited."

Nine-year-old Chloe O'Hanlon, from Castleside Primary School, near Consett, was presented with a glass statue to mark Durham's day in the Dome.