SCHOOLCHILDREN across Bolton appeared in court over the weekend as they had their first taste of life in the dock.

They appeared a little overawed as they stood to answer allegations of fly-tipping.

And they looked tense as they were grilled over the alleged offence.

But not as tense as they might have been - they were appearing in a series of mock trials aimed at giving them an understanding of how courts work.

Young legal eagles from six schools across Bolton faced each other in the courtrooms of Bolton Magistrates Courts to try a make-believe - but highly realistic - case of fly-tipping.

The Year Eight and Nine pupils took on the roles of prosecution and defence barristers during the mock trials, while other pupils acted out the parts of witnesses on the stand, in the real-life courtrooms at the historic Le Mans Crescent courthouse.

The trials were acted out in front of real magistrates, who also acted as judges. They had to decide - on the basis of the legal arguments put forward - whether the defendant was guilty or innocent.

Pupils from Canon Slade, Turton, St James, Mount St Joseph's and Rivington and Blackrod High School and eventual winners Sharples were all given the same case so the magistrates could decide which school made the best legal points.

Mount St Joseph's pupil Jasmine Leitner, aged 14, said: "The mock trials have helped us to speak more confidently and has helped to take away our nerves. It's been really interesting and we've also learnt about the law and its helped us to understand how the magistrates courts work."

Fellow Mount St Joseph's pupil Gemma Ritchie, aged 13, said: "I've never been in a court before so its's been really good to come here and see what one looks like."

The competition is linked to the National Curriculum work carried out on citizenship and aims to help young people gain an understanding of the criminal justice system.

The one-day event is part of the magistrates in the community awareness programme.

Jonathan Morgan, head of history and citizenship at Mount St Joseph's School in Farnworth said; "The children have worked really well. This has given them more confidence and you can tell just by looking at them in the courtroom that they have really enjoyed this. It has helped bring across the way the magistrates court works and the legal side of it."

The winning school will compete in a regional final, with the overall winner going through to a national final.