Nearly 40 bags of rubbish have been collected by students as part of an environmental awareness day.

Around 65 pupils from eight schools across Hyndburn attended Mount Carmel High School in Accrington for the second ‘Eco Champions Day’, with the theme based on growth and sustainability.

Youngsters took part in a litter pick on local streets and collected an ‘amazing’ 39 bags of rubbish.

Pauline Wood and Elaine Embley, from Hyndburn Homes, co-ordinated the litter pick, loaned the picking equipment and arranged collection of all the rubbish.

Local film production company Huckleberry films produced a short film highlighting the aspects of the eco day, funded by Hyndburn Homes.

Sue Fielding, partnership manager at Mount Carmel and co-organiser of the event, said each pupil also left with a certificate, badge and medal ‘proving they really are Eco Champions’.

She said: “This is the second year we have organised the Eco Champions day and is it proving to be a highlight in the school calendar.

“The schools who attended are already undertaking lots of brilliant environmental projects within their own school communities.

“This day is a perfect opportunity to get together, pool ideas and share good practice.

“All the pupils and staff who attended are committed to improving their environment, through educating their pupils and the wider community about environmental responsibilities.”

Julie Livesey and Ian Hodgson, from Prospects Foundation, hosted environmental workshops for children to learn about insects, the eco-system and habitats.

Pupils then made their own ‘bug hotel’ to hang around their gardens or school grounds.

Another workshop from Sonia Edwards, at Global Renewables, made students consider how much waste is used in packaging Easter Eggs and other regularly purchased products.

After the litter pick all pupils came together to create their own front page news article about the Eco Day, hosted by science teacher Andrew Crighton

The schools which took part were St Anne’s & St Joseph’s, St Mary’s Clayton-le-Moors, St Mary’s Oswaldtwistle, Sacred Heart, St Peter’s, St Mary Magdalen’s, Belthorn and Green Haworth, along with Mount Carmel High School.