It's almost impossible to put into words the horrific history of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

But two SRC Bede Sixth Form History students gave it a good go as they delivered a powerful lesson to their classmates.

Ainsley Claxton and Carl Smith took part in a visit to the former death camp in conjunction with the Holocaust Education Trust.

Tasked with sharing the experience with the rest of the College, the pair put together a poignant presentation hammering home the horror and mass genocide that occurred there during World War II.

Ainsley, 18, of Thornaby, said: “Studying History I thought this would be a good opportunity to visit the concentration camp and see for myself what it was like rather than just learning from the books.”

He said nothing could have prepared him for the impact of actually being there.

“The thing that stood out most to me was walking through the gates and seeing the fencing that stretched for miles – only then did you fully realise the size of the place.”

Auschwitz was one of the most notorious death camps operated by the Nazis from early 1942 until late 1944. In that time it is estimated that at least 1.3m people were killed there, either in gas chambers or as a result of maltreatment or disease.

Today the site in Poland acts as a reminder of what happened there.

Carl, 17, of Billingham, said: “The people in there weren’t treated as humans anymore.”

He added that seeing it for himself, gave him a much greater understanding of what happened there and was an experience he will never forget.