STUDENTS have gained behind-the-scenes experience of working in a museum by putting together their own exhibition.

Objects of Desire will be open to the public at Hartlepool Art Gallery from Tuesday to the middle of May.

Year ten students from English Martyrs School in the town have spent the past ten weeks working with staff from Hartlepool Borough Council's arts, museums and events service to learn how to organise exhibitions.

Using childhood as their theme, the students chose items for display that struck a personal chord with them - either from home or from the museums service's collection.

The selection ranged from cuddly toys and slate pencils to a Victorian child-sized mangle and a doll's costume.

Kate Ainger, education officer with the council's arts, museums and events service, said: "The main aim of the project is to forge better and closer links with people in the teenage age group, for whom museums can often seem distant and uninteresting.

"The students have really had a taste of life behind the scenes in the museums service.

"Not only have they organised the exhibition and chosen the exhibits, they also designed their own posters to publicise the exhibition.

"They have really enjoyed the experience, and we hope they will continue to get a lot of pleasure from museums as they become adults."

The art gallery, at the top of Church Street in Hartlepool, is open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am to 5.30pm, and Sundays, from 2pm to 5pm.

Entry is free.