Out of this world art competition sees Newport children win prizes from police
The winners of a lockdown colouring competition in one creative town have been given prizes including educational inflatable solar systems.
Newport's Safer Neighbourhood Team of police have run a series of competitions encouraging youngsters to draw pieces of art with the message 'stay home, save lives'. The competitions have seen a great uptake with the second, with a dinosaur theme, garnering 250 entries.
The latest was given a space theme and about 100 children joined in. The best entries won fun and educational prizes, with the Longford Pre-school Playgroup among those to get inflatable solar systems donated by the Science Museum in London.
Pc Lee Thomas, who presented some of the prizes as well as PCSO Ivan Collumbell, said: "Many of the children at the playgroup drew and coloured their pictures, which the nursery has displayed on their windows. They plan to use the prize to explain to the little ones all about space, the planets and the world around us, which is really great."
The team is working on another project to keep children occupied as the lockdown is eased.
"It'll be the last one for the moment. We have started planning something a bit different for when things improve a bit more and kids can get out and about without worry about social distancing et cetera.
"Hopefully though, we've done something the last few weeks to help entertain local children and help them deal with a very unusual situation."
