DALTON pupils have been using their artistic talents to brighten a school playground.

Year 5 and 6 children at Dalton Junior, Infant and Nursery School have created a Noah's Ark mural on the wall of the playground used by nursery and reception pupils.

The mural, which took around a week to complete, is the first in a series to be created by the pupils in the nursery playground.

The next will have an ocean theme and the third will have a theme based on words and literature. The final project will be to paint a road system on the floor of the playground. The idea is to help nursery pupils learn how to ride their bicycles.

All the work is expected to be complete after Christmas.

The project to brighten up the nursery playground was inspired by a similar scheme completed at Easter in the Year 5 and 6 playground. That project - which had a graffiti art theme - was helped by Shelley College students.

Linda Brook, behaviour improvement worker at the Dalton school, said the nursery playground project had been popular with the pupils.

She said: "They have really enjoyed doing it and have worked very hard. It's been a real success."