WATER company staff have gone back to school to build a garden.

Yorkshire Water workers spent two days this week creating a vegetable patch at Swainby and Potto Primary School.

Volunteers constructed a fence around part of the school grounds and built several raised beds.

Pupils from Swainby and Potto primary and sister school, Osmotherley primary, have been propagating seeds for several months.

The vegetable plants will go into the garden when pupils return from their Easter break.

The vegetables will then be used in the school kitchen.

Penny Vernon, headteacher of the two schools, said: "To have a dedicated outdoor area that we can use to bring the curriculum to life for the children is fantastic.

"Not only will they learn about planting and growing vegetables, fruits and flowers, they will also be able to use the areas for counting, weighing, measuring, science, conservation, drama and many more subjects."

The volunteers were taking part in the water company's One Million Green Fingers campaign.

Philip Allsion, Yorkshire Water network engineer, said: "Creating a One Million Green Fingers garden is a great way for Yorkshire Water to give something back to the local community.

"The garden we have created will provide the school with an outdoor area where children can learn about important issues such as water conservation, the environment, sustainability and the food chain. We hope that generations of schoolchildren can enjoy it and learn from it for years to come."