PUPILS at a Peebles primary school are preparing to grow their own food.

After landing a windfall from Tesco Bags of Help, Halyrude Primary purchased its very own poly tunnel.

And with the help from members of the Peebles CAN team, as well as a parent helper, the new greenhouse structure was erected this week.

Over the coming weeks and months the green-fingered students will start planting in prepared raised beds within the tunnel.

And it is hoped that they will be harvesting ingredients for lunches from later this year.

Halyrude headteacher Leigh Brunton told us: "The children are very excited about growing vegetables in the poly tunnel ready for their raised beds.

"They then hope to harvest the vegetables they have grown and use them in cooking."

As with other schools in the town, Halyrude's playgrounds haven't escaped the attention of vandals in recent years.

Outdoor spaces at both Priorsford and Kingsland primaries have suffered damaged in the past.

Mrs Brunton hopes that neighbours of the Rosetta Road school can act as deterrents - by using the grounds for exercise.

She added: "Our school community have worked hard to improve our playground and this includes installing an outdoor classroom.

"Unfortunately we have had some problems with a small group of young people trying to damage our outdoor classroom and our picnic benches and we hope that by encouraging the community to use our playground it will be a place everyone can enjoy.

"We would like to encourage members of the local community to walk and run through our playground in the evenings and at weekends as well as to see local children using our fantastic space."