YOUNGSTERS at two North Yorkshire primary schools enjoyed some visitors from the skies when the Royal Air Force dropped in.

Pupils of Ainderby Steeple CE and the Dales primary school at Morton-on-Swale got a close-up glimpse of a Merlin helicopter.

Personnel from 28 Squadron broke off from a training exercise at RAF Leeming to visit the schools.

The helicopter landed on the sports field and the crew spent an hour with youngsters, showing the pupils onboard the equipment and explaining how everything worked.

Ainderby Steeple headteacher Maureen Webster said: "We kept it a secret from the children to make it a special surprise. For the crew, I suppose it was all in a day's work, but for our pupils, staff and parents it was a day we will never forget.