Sir John Colfox Academy students have been praised and recognised for their volunteer work restoring a forest school area which was damaged by arson last year.

They have been awarded a volunteer award that hasn't been presented since 2016.

On a very wet and windy day in February, a group of students from years seven to 10, waked to Allington Hill to repair the area.

Ollie Bowditch, Hannah Moye, Sam Smith, Sam Morris, Chloe Davenport, Leo Robinson, Harvey Combes, Holly Dupon-Jones, Max Cantrell and Joe Harper, accompanied by Mr Dumakkin and Mrs Hicks, worked tirelessly despite the awful conditions.

The students formed their own teams and most of the time was spent dragging timber to the area and then cutting it into lengths. The students then used this to create a logpile seat which would be useful for people to use but was also a brilliant bug hotel type habitat.

During the day, Toby Hoad showed the group his heavy horses working and explained how they were used in habitats like Allington Hill. Some of the students got to drive the horses.

Cathy Harvey, of Allington Hillbillies which oversees Allington Hill and Coopers Field, said: "We were all tired, wet and covered head to toe in mud by the end of the day, but the students had done a fantastic job.

"The Hillbillies and all the adult volunteers were really impressed with the attitude of the students when faced with physical hard work and the miserable weather. I have had so many emails praising their team work and resilience.

"The Hillbillies have awarded the students the Young Volunteer of the Year Award which hasn't been presented since 2016, a real honour and well-deserved."