SCHOOLCHILDREN held a 'dress up in purple' day to help eradicate polio across the globe.

Youngsters from Ss Peter and Paul Primary School in Yeadon raised £209 towards the End Polio Now campaign.

The school has already joined other Aireborough primaries in planting a total of 5,000 purple crocus bulbs to raise awareness of the Rotary appeal, and it adopted polio eradication as its Easter charity.

When Rotary International began the project in the 1980s there were 1,000 cases a day worldwide - compared to just 37 for the whole of 2016. Now only three countries remain polio endemic.

On its website Rotary International says: "Our efforts to eradicate polio have been described as one of the finest humanitarian projects the world has ever known and Rotary has even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The eradication of polio when completed will be one of the most significant achievements in public health since the eradication of smallpox."

The purple crocus is a symbol of the campaign - representing the dye used to mark the fingers of children to indicate they have received their life saving vaccine.

Aireborough Rotary President Graham Davies accompanied the club’s Community Chairman Barry Bootland to the Yeadon school to thank pupils for their donation.

The club’s next fundraising project is the annual sponsored charity event, You Walk It – We Run It, on Saturday, May 20.

The start and finish point will be Leeds Trinity University, Brownberrie Lane, Horsforth LS18 5HD with parking and toilets. Start control will be open from 9.30am to 10.30am, closing at 2pm.

The three options are - a short walk and treasure hunt in the university grounds; a 5km walk around Horsforth, entirely on pavements; a10km walk around Horsforth, taking in a stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal towpath. All routes are buggy and wheelchair accessible.

Each walker will receive a route-map with picture quiz checkpoints, a sponsorship form and a certificate on completion.

The cost is £2 for under 16s and £4 for over 16s with a family ticket costing £10. Entry is free for under fives.

Emial secretaryaireboroughrotary@gmail.com or call 0759 955 4710 to register an interest.