PUPILS put on their white coats and became junior scientists when they designed the ideal washing tablet.

The Year 5 youngsters from Devonshire Road Primary School, Heaton, won two new kits for sports teams after taking part in a science education programme run by Ariel.

The scheme, which is aimed at children aged nine to 11, has been created to show how science affects everyday lives.

The boys and girls learned how to design a washing tablet to achieve the best cleaning results and presented their findings in a poster-sized collage.

Ruth Hardy, science co-ordinator at the school, said: "Science can be fun and exciting for children if taught in the right way.

"The pupils had a wonderful time doing the experiments and gathering data."