PHOTOGRAPHS taken by children to change perceptions of their area have been used in a calendar.

Youngsters from Darlington's Pupil Referral Unit and Corporation Road Primary School spent four weeks taking pictures for the Positive Images.

During the project, run by Darlington Borough Council's specialist support team, the children learn how to use digital cameras and edit pictures, as well as budgeting skills.

With help from parents and staff, they spent time investigating their local area - around North Road - to decide the types of images they wanted to include in the calendar. At the end of the four-week project, some of the images were selected to be used in the calendar.

The project was funded after a successful application for £2,000 from The Dosh, which is a council youth service scheme that gives young people money for events, activities and projects of their choice.

Money raised from the sale of the calendars will be split between Corporation Road Primary School and the unit.

Councillor Chris McEwan, the council's cabinet member for children's services said: "The Positive Images project has been very successful.

"It's taught the young people new skills in photography and budgeting, and the end product is this fantastic calendar which celebrates where they live and go to school."