PUPILS took their teddy bears along to Duxford yesterday (Wednesday) to help promote a smokefree Britain. Fifty-seven children from Barley First School dropped their teddies, who were armed with pre-made parachutes, from a balcony in the new Aerospace ha

PUPILS took their teddy bears along to Duxford yesterday (Wednesday) to help promote a smokefree Britain.

Fifty-seven children from Barley First School dropped their teddies, who were armed with pre-made parachutes, from a balcony in the new Aerospace hangar at Duxford Imperial War Museum.

Health promotion officer at North Hertfordshire District Council Jemma Hawkins, who organised the day, said: "The idea was to help promote the Smoke Free Hertfordshire and the approaching smoking ban.

We are always talking to adults about the ban but we need to ask the children what they think as well."

The pupils gathered around the top of the balcony and all dropped their teddies to the floor, watching their individual parachutes open up.

Head teacher at Barley First School Julie Price said: "It was a great morning which went really well. All the teddies' parachutes worked much better than we thought they would."

"We decided to get involved after our health week and wanted to promote the no smoking ban.

"I took the plan to the school council and when I mentioned the smoking ban they all cheered. The children came up with the parachuting teddies idea."

The smoking ban will come into force across the country on July 1 putting a ban on smoking in all pubs, restaurants and public places.

Barley pupil Matthew said: "It will be really good when I go into a public place. I don't like it when the first thing you smell is smoke.

"I think the choice people make to smoke is the wrong one."

Other pupils agreed. Chris said: "Everyone should give up smoking. The person who invented it should be punished. I would tell smokers to stop it because it's killing you."

For more information on a smoke free country visit www.smokefreeengland.co.uk