GREEN-THINKING youngsters have received national recognition for helping the environment.

St Peter's Church of England Primary School , in Brotton, east Cleveland, has been awarded an Eco Schools Green Flag.

It is the first in Redcar and Cleveland to be given the honour, awarded by national environmental organisation Encams.

Headteacher John Stinson said: "We are delighted and proud to have received national recognition for the eco activities the school has been involved with over the past five years.

"It recognises our commitment to developing the eco agenda across all areas of the school."

Teacher Sue Silversides and school governor Tim Myer, together with the school's eco committee, have helped organise activities, including the collection of fruit and veg peelings for compost to use around the grounds.

The children have banned crisps and chocolate and organised regular litter picks.

They have also taken responsibility for monitoring the school's gas, electric and water meters, putting them into a computer programme and reporting findings to the school governors.

The achievement was marked during a ceremony at the school which included the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's mayor Peter Spencer, Encams regional director Stephen Graham, the school's eco committee and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Ashok Kumar.

The council's cabinet member for environmental improvement, Councillor Bob Stanway, said: "This is an outstanding achievement for St Peter's and we've invited pupils and teachers from other schools around the borough to see at first hand how to get a Green Flag and hope they can follow St Peter's example."