A PERFORMANCE based on the murder of a Darlington teenager was at the centre of an evening of theatre staged by Teesside students.

A poignant piece about the killing of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall was performed by students from The King’s Academy in Coulby Newham as part of an event held to debut the academy’s new performance arts suite.

Ashleigh was killed in October 2009 after meeting a stranger who had posed as a teenager on the internet in order to ensnare her. Convicted rapist Peter Chapman, from Stockton, was later jailed for life after pleading guilty to her murder.

The piece was staged by students in order to warn other youngsters to be cautious when using social media.

The evening was held by the academy’s drama club, which has been running for five years.

Head of performance arts Danielle Paul said: "During October half term, students attended a six hour workshop and created pieces of performance work linked to the theme 'learning to fly'.

"The young people shared ideas and opinions relating to barriers to success. They identified bullying, social media, peer pressure, family relationships and body image as possible barriers, then explored how to overcome them in their performances."

The new performance arts facility at the academy is part of a £1m extension built to meet increased demand for drama among students.