Children got a taste of life down on the farm - by tucking into tasty burgers.

The youngsters from St Therese Lisieux Primary School, in Ingleby Barwick, visited Maltby Grange Farm, just outside Maltby, to learn first hand where their food comes from.

They came face to face with Leo, farmer Martin Lowcock's treasured stock bull, and enjoyed a barbecue with burgers fresh from the farm shop.

The visit was part of Your Countryside, You're Welcome Week, a partnership project by the Countryside Agency and other stakeholders, to forge links between "townies" and the countryside in the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak.

Clive Davies, from Tees Forest, one of the project's partners, said: "It's been a very difficult year for farmers but now we want to send a signal to people the countryside is open again.

"We are trying to rebuild that understanding for children about where their food comes from and get across that most farms are environmentally friendly."

Teacher Mary Lombard said the visit backed up work in the classroom. "Although this is so close to school, many of the children have never been to a farm," she said.

Pupil Abbie Vokes, 11, said: "The visit has been really good - you never think much of it when you're eating a burger, but now we've got more idea of where the food comes from."

Mr Lowcock, who owns Maltby Grange Farm, said: "Since foot and mouth, farming and welfare issues have been given a negative press but we have to meet stringent stipulations - I'll gladly show anybody round my farm.

"We're starting to sell meat from our farm shop and if people can see exactly where their steak has come from and how it's produced it gives them more confidence."

Phil Hughes from One NorthEast, another project stakeholder, said: "We are trying to generate an understanding of how welfare-friendly farms work."