PUPILS at Sheet Primary School have been surprised and delighted in the past few weeks by messages from eight-year-old environmentalist Frankie Morland.

Firstly Frankie – who has raised £5,000 for the World Wildlife Fund from sales of his book and single called World in Danger – sent a video message thanking the children for their support of Sheet resident Ann Saunders’ anti-idling awareness campaign during a recent assembly.

Ann is trying to make more drivers aware that leaving their engine idling while stuck in traffic is bad for their pocket and health.

She spoke to the school’s 120 pupils and set them the task of designing posters to stop motorists idling after playing them both the video message from Frankie and the World in Danger song.

Ann explained a minute of idling could fill 150 balloons with dangerous invisible pollutants, and that an hour of idling could use up to a gallon of fuel.

She told the children they could all make a difference by spreading the anti-idling message to drivers they knew.

On February 7 Ann returned to the school with Sheet councillor Gail Martin to present Frankie’s book and other prizes to the poster competition winners at its celebration assembly.

Headteacher Julie Robinson was there to see Noah Hockley, Callie Dodson and Sophia Bowles get their prizes.

A follow-up message from Frankie Morland was read out.

It said: “Well done everyone for your posters, they are all amazing and very creative.

“In this cold weather, walking to school I can really see the pollution from car exhausts, so let’s hope your message and the posters make a difference.

“It feels good to me that I hear of so many children my age who also care about our world. Thank you Sheet School.”

Ann said: “I can’t thank headteacher Julie Robinson and Sheet Council enough for their support for my campaign, and Frankie’s interest was the icing on the cake.

“The children really embraced the challenge of designing posters and showed they had really understood why unnecessary idling is so bad for us all.

“Two of the winning posters will be displayed in various locations in Sheet, starting at Sue Johnson’s Interiors in Inman’s Lane.”