ARMY sappers have become the toast of a school near their base after they gave a moto-cross track a new lease of life.

Members of 10 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, from RAF Leeming, spent a week renovating the track at Breckenbrough School, at Sandhutton, near Thirsk, to get it in shape for the most qualified racers.

The track is a key leisure activity at the residential school for boys with problems who have above-average academic potential. Over the years it had become overgrown.

Troop commander Captain Karl Titchmarsh said: "We have done a few tasks like this because it is also good training on our part. We scrapped everything that used to be there and have pretty much turned it into a professional motocross track.

"We included a few chicanes, bumps, throwbacks and jumps so that the lads cannot go too fast along the track. It will also be a really good way for them to practise their skills."

The work was tough for the engineers, with work stopped for two days because of bad weather but, determined to finish, the sappers put in extra time over the weekend so the track would completed.

Capt Titchmarsh said: "It was the first time that we have done a task quite like that, but we got a big sense of achievement out of it.

"The soldiers met some of the pupils because they shared their dining area, and a lot of them wanted to have a look around our vehicles.

"Speaking to staff and children at the school, they were absolutely ecstatic with what we did with the track."