PUPILS at a Furness School found out about the role of the police in the community when the county’s chief constable toured the classrooms.

The Mail, on Saturday, July 16 in 1988, noted: “The long arm of the law has paid a visit to Walney School - in the shape of Cumbria chief constable Leslie Sharp.

“The county’s top policeman was at the school  to meet pupils who are learning how police deal with everything from drug abuse and riots to road safety.

“Police teams challenged staff, pupils and old boys at football and tug-of-war and the police dog handling team gave a display.

“A police task force van, Land Rover and motorbike were in the school playground."

The two-day event involved nearly 30 officers, including specialists in crime prevention, drug and alcohol abuse, road safety and public order, as well as Walney community police officer Ian McClymont.”

The police chief told pupils: “It’s just as important for us to understand you. If we don’t there’s no way we can carry out our function to the best of our ability.”

Headmaster Stan Aspinall took the chief constable on a tour of classrooms where officers were talking to pupils.

The word Brexit had not been invented back in 1991 when Walney youngsters had a day of French fun and set up their own continental cafe.

The Mail, on June 22 in 1991, noted: “Getting into the swing of Europe was the theme at Walney School.

"Counting skips in French was just one of the many activities at Ocean Road.

“The patisserie stall boasted gateaux, tartes and petit fours in the shape of marzipan swans and foreign flags.”

The National Westminster Bank and Barrow Travel provided foreign currency for the youngsters to get familiar with and the school had its own French cafe- complete with violin music by teacher Keith Blewitt.

Headteacher Stan Aspinall said: “Children here don’t give modern languages enough priority, so by encouraging them to speak French and German we hope to show that languages can be fun as well as useful.”