YOUNG people dug in to transform the entrance to a police dog base.

A group of year eight pupils from Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College visited Durham police’s dog support unit at The Barns, near Spennymoor.

The facility is also a dog training site and base for the Paws Up charity, which runs a benevolence scheme for retired police dogs.

The youngsters visited The Barns as part of the Haggrid project - a joint scheme by Durham Police and the Durham Agency Against Crime to promote personal development and learning through horticultural, environmental and community skills.

While there the pupils spruced up a neglected flower bed beside the main entrance and planted blue and yellow shrubs to signify the colours of County Durham and Paws Up.

Project coordinator, PC Iain Robertson, said: “They did it all in one day which was a real achievement due to the condition of the land.

“What's even more astonishing is that it was their very first horticulture session.

“The police officers and staff are over the moon with the results and their school are very proud of them.”