AS part of local newspaper week, the Gazette and Herald invited schools to design their own sports pages.

The quality of the work submitted was excellent but the eventual winner was Chirton Primary, near Devizes, with Even Juniors, Swindon the runners-up.

The winners were treated to a visit by Gazette columnist and Swindon Town striker Sam Parkin, the Gazette mascot Gilbert and Gazette sports editor Stuart White.

The children had made huge banners and rushed to greet Sam and Gilbert.

The football fans flocked to the Swindon striker for autographs, with Parkin signing photographs, footballs and replica shirts.

After posing for a group photograph, Town's top scorer organised a football match on the school field against White and his team.

All the children enjoyed playing with or against their idol, and retired to the classroom exhausted after the match. Parkin then looked at class two's new Swindon kit designs and stadium drawings before handing out Gazette goodie bags to all the pupils.

Gazette columnist Parkin said it was an absolute pleasure to be invited to present the award.

He added: "The children were so well behaved. I really enjoyed myself.

"I have never known such a small school, it was very different to where I went in London. It was great, it is was such a nice local community school and everyone was really nice."

Chirton class teacher Kate Lloyd-Jones, who was unable to be present when Sam Parkin and Gilbert visited, said she had been thrilled the way the children had thrown themselves into planning the pages.

She said: "Our children are lovely to teach. They go at things full tilt with a "can do" attitude.

"When they heard that the winners got a visit from Sam Parkin and Gilbert, they got stuck in straight away."