DOROTHY Long shall go to the ball - in a designer gown created specially for the occasion.

The Mayor of Darlington invited students at the town's Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College to design her a stunning outfit for the Mayor's Ball, next week.

Students on the BTec Diploma in Foundation Studies and second year A-level art and design students took up the challenge to create a show-stopping dress.

The only restrictions they faced were a ban on white and navy blue, the gown had to be long and it should show off the mayor's petite figure and slim waistline.

Other than that, students had free rein to let their imaginations run wild and test their skills to the limit - but within a budget of £10.

Thirty-two students came up with designs, from which Councillor Long selected the one to be made into the dress she will wear at the ball.

Lindsey Stokoe chose a Cinderella theme. "I wanted to design a glamorous dress - a pretty party dress in feminine pink and purple." The keen jewellery maker decorated the bodice with sequins, beading and tiny mirrors to give added glamour.

Purple and grey were also recurrent themes, while Amy Porteus brought Darlington's railway heritage into her dress with silver 'tracks' travelling across the mauve fabric, as did Helen Simpson on her grey calico gown.

Michael Pybus used grey cotton to create an eastern European peasant look, complete with headscarf.

In the end, Coun Long chose Alison Bolton's design - though the finished dress will be kept under wraps until the ball on Friday.

Principal tutor Chris Watson said the £10 budget was a good test for the students. "The emphasis has been on imagination and creativity and using different materials. It has taught them how to create something on a limited budget," he said.

Coun Long, who has taken the theme of creative arts for her mayoral year, said: "The staff at the college have been wonderful and I'm delighted at the way the students have responded."

The design-a-dress challenge coincided with the students' summer project on the theme of "a personal landmark". The students produced stunning interpretations of the town clock, Bank Top station and Darlington's parks, which will serve as a set for the ball.