Pupils from Fynamore School in Calne used their creative skills to back an area board campaign for cleaner air by drawing pictures of trees and grass in a pollution-free town.

Fifteen pupils entered a Calne Area Board air quality working group competition to get pupils thinking about pollution levels.

The levels are above government limits in two areas of Calne, according to environmental health officers who carried out tests for a report published last year.

Officers identified areas of concern in New Road and from Curzon Street to Wood Street, and in February an air quality management area was established.

The winners of the competition were Year 4 pupil Kate Rigby and Year 1 pupil Finlay Lovelock, who used glitter, cotton wool and sprinkles to create their pictures.

Finlay’s picture showed a bright green field with a blue river running through it, and Kate’s had a tree on a hill with fluffy clouds in the sky.

Their pictures were picked as winning entries by the public at the last area board meeting on October 15 and they received their prizes at the school this week, which included book tokens and colouring pencils.

Wiltshire councillor Glenis Ansell, chairman of the air quality working group, said the competition was the start of a campaign to get schools thinking about air pollution.

She aims to make Calne’s air cleaner by urging children and parents to walk to school, and by reducing traffic during the school run.

She said: “What we’re saying to the schools is, is there anything we can do to help?

“Then we’re going to roll out the campaign to the business community.

“If we can encourage children to walk to school and to use their bikes, then they will encourage their parents to do the same. That’s where the change could come.”

At the area board meeting the public also took part in a brainstorm to share ideas on how to reduce pollution.

Coun Ansell said: “We took down ideas about what would help to reduce people using their cars, such as using the bus service and car sharing.”