PUPILS have been establishing their green credentials by taking part in an environment awareness competition.

The aim of the event was to highlight everything from recycling to litter and general green issues.

Twelve schools took part, with more than 100 primary and 200 secondary school pupils participating.

The competition was divided into four categories. Younger children made a model from waste materials, or wrote about litter problems in the environment.

Secondary school pupils carried out a study of the problem in a specific area and presented their findings in poster format.

The young prize-winners received their awards at Bury Town Hall.

And some of the winning younsters are pictured meeting Bury's mayor and mayoress, Councillor Paul Nesbit and Mrs Shirley Nesbit.

Councillor Julie Higson, executive member for environment and transport, said: "We were hoping for some new ideas to tackle litter and to encourage not just children but also adults not to litter their environment. "Hopefully schemes like this will lead to young people growing up to have more respect for their environment than currently displayed by some adults.

"We were pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the quality of individual entries. Obviously the pupils had put a lot of thought and effort into their entries."

The winners were:

Primary schools.

Affetside Primary: Lewis Buckley & Bethany Smith (model train), Billy Howard (model train), William Hall & Ashleigh Ingham (model boat), Shannon Salvin & Emily Baker (model rainforest)

Chantlers Primary: George Baird (model alien), Shannon Wood (model lighthouse), Madeleine Royle (chair), Katie Massey (chair) and Christopher McNichols (chair).

Hollins Grundy Primary: Jessica Hewitt & Rebecca Roberts (California castle), Evie McDermott, Charlotte Broadhurst, Amy Birley & Daniel Keogh (model pig), Scott TK Mody, Jade Duckworth, Michael Melluish, Jibran Ahmad, Daud Farooq and Rebecca Osbiston wrote individual stories or poems.

Unsworth Primary: Kerry Nixon, Hanah Anderson, Sophie Nosek & Hanna Armitage, Alex Chisnall, Megan Ainsworth, Ben Charlesworth, Gemma Clarence, Hannah Lee, Adam Hirst, Jennifer Norton, Michael Grayson and Shelley Ann Jack wrote individual stories or poems.

Secondary Schools.

Elms Bank Community High School: Sean Ryan, Jonathan Mather, Gareth Thompson, Matthew Vyas, Alan McKenna, Aaron Crumblehome, Nicola Deakin, Richard Mashiter and Squire Kirkham.

Overall winners: Larisa Clarke, Heidi Hudson, Rosie Couldridge and Rebecca Johnson (Tottington High School)

Second: Lauren Hulton, Sarah Redfern, Vanessa Rowland and Natalie Rozer (Tottington High School)

Third: Mychael Barlow, Richard Farnworth and Jason Cooke (Tottington High School)

Runners up: Diana Smalley, Angela Bewley and Tracy Fitzpatrick (Coney Green High School)

Runners up: Stephanie Lightbown, Megan Twist and Sarah Gregory (Coney Green High School).