DESIGN students have risen to the challenge of coming up with the artwork for a Darlington coffee house.

Students from Darlington College have produced a host of festive hangings for the walls of the recentlyopened Starbucks in the town centre.

The project forges a link between the college and the coffee shop chain, which will see students working on future arts projects.

Starbucks manager Joanne Ransley said: "When we move into a town, we always try to make links in the community.

"The students' work has been excellent and we will be setting them the challenge in the new year of coming up with landscape designs."

Darlington College tutor Donna Slyfield said: "Working on projects for genuine clients provides the students with a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of professional life.

"They have really risen to the challenge and produced some excellent work which looks tremendous in the setting of a contemporary coffee house."