It will be a fairytale trip of a lifetime when 30 children from a Chorley primary school travel to Denmark to walk in the footsteps of Hans Christian Andersen.

Year five children from St Mary's Catholic Primary School won the three night stay in Copenhagen by creating a new twist on a Hans Christian Andersen story in a competition organised to mark the 200th anniversary of the famous author's birth.

The fertile imaginations of the children created The Rock Star's New Guitar, an adaptation of the Emperor's New Clothes, which beat off competition from more than 1,150 schools to carry off first prize.

During the visit, which is being provided by Visit Denmark, the class will travel to Andersen's home town of Odense to experience the culmination of the bicentennial celebrations.

The lucky kids will be accompanied by six members of staff from the Hornchurch Drive school, including head teacher Sue McCluskey and class teacher Joanna Perrett.

At the school, the sense of excitement among the pupils is tangible in advance of the trip which begins this Sunday, December 4.

Ten-year-old Rebecca Linfitt said: "We could not believe it when we found out we had won and it's incredible that we are being given this chance to go to Denmark."

Ethan Mather,11, said: "We are all counting down the days and now even the hours before we go. All of us are excited about the trip."

Oliver Mercer, 10, is looking forward to visiting the world's oldest amusement park Tivoli Gardens for some white knuckle fun.

While classmate Charlotte Flanagan, 10, who was part of the Rock Star's New Guitar's writing team, picks out the visit to Hans Christian Andersen's former home in Odense as activity she is most looking forward to.