School pupils were helped to create a giant tree sculptor after winning a countywide recycling competition.

Children at Purleigh Primary School fought off competition from 13 other Essex schools by collecting six bins full of electrical waste.

The challenge, run by Essex County Council, saw schools each given a week to collect as many unwanted items as possible before contractor Veolia arrived to collect them and take them away for recycling.

For winning the contest, Purleigh Primary School won a workshop with artist Dave Taylor, who calls himself Sculptor Man.

Mr Taylor created an 8ft tall lightweight steel structure and helped about 80 pupils at the school add cardboard and papier mache to transform it into a tree.