WORRIED children at a primary school in the most polluted area of a community have appealed to parents and carers to help them cut damaging  fumes by walking and biking and not keeping vehicles running.

Year six students at Bedale Primary School were said to be "really shocked" after being told their school in Firby Road, was in the worst area of the town for pollution.

They have now put a message on the school’s website and taken to social media appealing for help.

Head boy Henry King said: “Year six students at Bedale Primary School have been getting increasingly worried. This issue is going to get bigger if we don’t act now. We can’t do it alone, we need your help.

 “Our concern over this problem was created during a scientific lesson with Dr Matt Sawyer about the human body. He told us about the effect air pollution has on our bodies and we were really shocked. Health problems like asthma, heart and lung problems. We want none of this to happen to our students. We were shown a map colour coded to the worst areas of air pollution in Bedale. Firby Road and Benkhill Drive were a deep red; our school was surrounded by pollution. This is not good for our students' health. Here is how you can help.

 “When you are in your car, don’t have it running, all of the exhaust fumes go into one place. Also, by not using your car, money on fuel and possibly someone's life could be saved. Walking, scooting and biking places is healthier for you and the environment. We can save the environment, one step at a time.”

He said one student who has asthma had told them walking through the fumes makes them start coughing and using their inhaler more.

Fellow student Freya Doyle took to social media to spread the word, appealing to parents: “I am writing to you because it has come to my attention that the air quality around Firby Road is dangerous to the children in our school

“Would you rather walk to school and take five minutes out of your day or risk your child’s future? The benefits to not driving would be: your physical and mental health will improve; you can talk and enjoy nature and, last but not least, decrease the amount of air pollution around our school.  

“We could also do what a school in Newcastle did by making a pedestrian only zone, their air pollution decreased by over 50 per cent. Together, we can help your children’s future and stop air pollution around our school.”