YOUNGSTERS in Darlington demonstrated their creative side when their school played host to a professional artist this week.

Adam Baldwin helped pupils at Haughton Community School produce eye-catching pieces of work, as part of the One Book for Darlington project.

The initiative aims to encourage more people to take up reading, and has already seen hundreds of copies of Edith Nesbit's classic, The Railway Children, delivered to local schools.

Artists, including Mr Baldwin and Yvonne Preston, have also been commissioned to hold a series of school workshops on the railway theme, helping to bring the project to life for children.

They have mainly been working in primary schools but, when one planned session was cancelled, Haughton stepped in to allow its year seven pupils to pick up tips from the experts.

Their work is due to be displayed at Darlington Railway Centre and Museum this weekend.

Councillor Chris McEwan, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "The One Book for Darlington initiative is going from strength to strength and the success of the artists' workshops has been an integral part of that."