YORK school pupils are taking part in a scheme to bring them closer to their local council.

Oaklands pupils launched an internet surfing pack which takes them through the City of York Council's website allowing them to find a range of information about what the council does.

The pack was produced as part of a nationwide drive to encourage participation in democracy and the local community.

The scheme is a partnership between City of York Council and the Institute for Citizenship and was developed in conjunction with Oaklands School pupils.

Mora Scaife, from community planning and partnerships at City of York Council, said:

"This pilot scheme should ensure that pupils in the city know where and how to get information about their local services."

Jennifer Philpott, from the Institute of Citizenship, said: "Working so closely with the students from Oaklands and the City of York Council has enabled the Institute to produce a pack that is relevant, informative and more importantly in a form that young people will find interesting."

Updated: 09:05 Wednesday, October 15, 2003