Being in the Royal Navy can hardly be described as child's play, but a group from RNAS Culdrose were only too happy to rebuild a playground at one of Helston's primary schools.

A group of nine volunteers from the naval base's engineering training school spent two days helping out at Parc Eglos School.

They didn’t let the heavy wind and rain stop them as they removed a pond and tidied up a wooded walk area.

Warrant Officer Stewart Paterson, class one air engineering technician, led the team from Culdrose and is also a governor at the school.

He said: "I volunteered to get a team together and everyone here signed up of their own accord because they wanted to help. It is important that Culdrose gets involved with community projects like this because there are a lot of service families in this school, and a genuine affiliation between Parc Eglos and Culdrose."

The group spent their time dismantling a disused pond and laying paving slabs to turn it into a designated reading area for the children.

This will allow the youngsters to eat their lunch outside whilst reading to themselves or each other.

The volunteers also resurfaced the woodland nature area on the school grounds, to make it safer for the children to use all year round.

Martyn Pennell, the site manager of the school, helped oversee the restoration project and ensured that it ran smoothly.

He said: "It makes a great difference to have the help of RNAS Culdrose today. Without their help I would be working for hours and hours on my own, so to have these guys here to help has been amazing.

"It will make a big difference to the children who are now enjoying the facilities straight after half term."