YOUNGSTERS in the North-East have been having a close encounter with creatures from outer space.

Pupils at Shotley Bridge Primary School, near Consett, appeared at school, on Tuesday to find an alien spacecraft had crash-landed in its grounds.

Children were met by the police and fire service at the start of their school day, and year one worked with officers to cordon off the area to make it safe for the rest of the school.

They worked closely with emergency services all morning, looking at what their job role was so that the investigation could be passed over to them over the next week.

Teacher Anna Hunter said: “They worked with the police to find out what they did on a crime scene and then they came back in and did finger printing and tried on their uniforms then they made a list of what was at the crime scene.

“Some of the children also worked with the fire brigade, using their equipment and their hoses.

“On Wednesday when they came in there was slime all over the crime scene.

“The police have left us evidence bags and the children have found an alien passport and have been creating missing posters for the alien.

“They are are loving it.”