Pupils at a school in South East Cornwall have been collecting pennies as part of a local community project.

The children at Lerryn Primary School were asked to bring in copper pennies that have since been melted down and cast into the new bells for St Winnow Church.

School governor and bell ringing captain, Robert Pearce, came up with the idea as a way to get the children involved in a community project.

Robert took the coins with him when he travelled to Holland to see the new bells for the church being cast. He said: ’Altogether we had 10 bells cast in Holland. They will be shipped over to Bridport in Dorset, where the bell hanger will make the frame, wheels and head stocks. Hopefully they will be finished on July 17.

‘The bells will then be transported to St Winnow for a service on August 6, where they will be blessed by Bishop Chris. Then a fortnight after that they will be installed in St Winnow’s tower.

‘It is a church tradition to have pennies cast with the bells.’