CHILDREN proved how much they care for the environment when they helped plant an avenue of trees in the grounds of their Hartlepool school.

The youngsters, from Clavering School, helped workers from Hartlepool Borough Council plant 11 trees to replace a number of others that had to be removed during recent improvement works.

As well as tree planting, the school also hosted an assembly which was attended by Clare Lowe from the Tees Forest.

Headteacher Tony Metcalfe said: "I thought the presentation to the assembly was extremely interesting and informative. The children certainly gained a lot from it.

"I would like to thank Clare for coming along.

"Our school is proud of the environment in which pupils learn. The grounds provide a rich and stimulating source of learning opportunities, which we are keen to develop.

"The children were particularly delighted to get involved with the tree planting and we have arranged for more planting in the spring."