TEN teenagers became mums for a weekend to discover how hard caring for a baby can be.

The pupils from Ormesby Comprehensive School in Middlesbrough spent a weekend at a field centre near Barnard Castle, County Durham, with a team of school nurses and their very own "babies".

Computerised interactive dolls took the place of children in the experiment to try to tackle Teesside's teenage pregnancy rates.

School nurse Trudi Donovan said: "This was the first time we have been able to use the dolls to their full potential and the girls certainly found them testing. One was particularly cranky and kept one of the girls up most of the night."

The youngsters had to visit a supermarket, go on a four mile walk and attend classes, all while looking after the dolls.

Mrs Donovan said: "The dolls are very life-like and the girls were not prepared for the disapproving looks they got, or the comments from other shoppers.

"We were all exhausted by the end of the weekend but the girls learnt a lot about the realities of having the sole responsibility for caring for a small baby.

"The next time we might take along a few boys."