Children who were left without a school playground after debris from a storm left it unusable have now welcomed a colourful new bench to their spruced-up play area.

The Parent Teacher Association at Coombe Hill Infants' School decided to give schoolchildren a friendship bench for the newly refurbished playground at the start of the new term.

Alison Mcclintock, co-chairwoman of the parent teacher association at Coombe Hill Infants', said: “The school’s playground was recently damaged when a 200-year-old oak tree was blown down in the storm. The kids have been without a playground all of last term.

“To celebrate the kids getting back into the playground – and health and happiness week – the PTA bought and helped decorate a rainbow-coloured friendship bench.”

To get children thinking about the use of the friendship bench a special assembly was put on where they were encouraged to talk about what it means to be a good friend.