Youngsters, from as young as three, today helped launch the third phase of a unique and innovative educational programme at the Winter Gardens to schools and employers across the north east.

The children from Havelock Primary School in Sunderland were accompanied by employers in a special story time session for 'Leaflettes' - a programme aimed at teaching life skills and encouraging and reinforcing good behaviour from a very early age.

Leaflettes is the latest addition to the hugely successful and popular TREE (Towards Responsibility for Education and Employment) system, which is currently being used in schools in Wearside, Teesside, Durham and Humberside in helping schools tackle anti-social behaviour and address the Government's Citizenship and Respect agendas.