SWIMMING lessons are unlikely to ever be the same again for children from a Hartlepool school.

Pupils from Springwell School turned up for their weekly lesson at Hartlepool Council’s Mill House Leisure Centre to be met by Paralympic medal-winning swimmers Matt Wylie and Josef Craig and their coach Danny Thompson.

The trio from City of Sunderland Amateur Swimming Club spent around two hours with 23 children aged five to 11, working first in a classroom setting and then taking to the pool.

Their visit was arranged by Hartlepool Council’s assistant aquatics manager David Grainge through his friendship with Mr Thompson.

Mr Wylie 20, who has cerebral palsy, won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics after having also won gold at the European Championships earlier in the year.

He said: “Swimming internationally has opened many doors for us and we get to travel the world, but it is also very important to us to give something back to the local community.

“We were delighted to come along and work with the children from Springwell School.”

Springwell School PE teacher Scott Malabar said: “It was great to listen to Matt, Josef and Danny in the classroom – they were so inspirational.”