SCHOOLCHILDREN were today giving a warm welcome to visitors from the frozen North.

Youngsters at Griffin Park Primary, Blackburn, have forged close links with children at "partner" schools in Finland and Estonia through a European Union scheme.

The school is understood to be the only one in Blackburn and Darwen taking part in the European Education Project.

The heads and a member of staff from Pernio Primary School in south west Finland and Elva Primary School in central Estonia were due to swap sub-zero temperatures for the slightly warmer East Lancashire climate when they arrived in Blackburn today for a four-day visit.

"They want to get an insight into how a typical East Lancashire school runs and a closer look at the English education system," said Griffin Park head Craig Ward.

"They will be meeting the pupils and talking to them about life in the school."

Griffin Park teamed up with Elva four years ago when the Estonian school contacted it with a view to setting up a "pen pals" scheme.

Mr Ward said: "We were already teamed up with the Finnish school so it made sense for the three of us to come together."

The European partners scheme was launched in September and since then children at Griffin Park have been writing to their new friends and learning more about each other's cultures.

Following the visit, the schools will swap work and each one will stage an exhibition in the summer.