PUPILS at a Leigh school are flying the flag for the environment.

In seven months, children at St Thomas' School, Bedford, have saved £500 -- just by switching off unnecessary lights.

They have set up an Eco Action Group with teams of litter pickers to clean up in and around school.

They have also designed "Bin It" posters which they hope will be displayed in shops.

And they were so incensed by the amount of litter around their school, they wrote to the council's cleansing department and were given some free wheelie bins.

The school, which is aiming for Eco School Status, was visited by Leigh MP Andy Burnham. He told the children he was impressed by their work.