Children from Haworth Primary School were staggered to find that a “meteor” had landed in their playground.

On arriving in the morning, pupils and parents were amazed to discover that a crater had apparently appeared overnight in the school grounds.

Head teacher Janet Parkinson said: “The children were thrilled to arrive at school and see this meteorite.

“This week reflected our drive to make our creative curriculum even more exciting.”

The event marked the start of a week of stargazing activities.

Every child from years one to six had the opportunity to visit the new STAR Centre, in the Keighley Campus of Leeds City College.

There they experienced the facility’s mission control simulation, the cosmodome and a “moonscape”.

They also appreciated the sensation of travelling into space by way of 3D presentations.

The older children controlled the Bradford School’s Robotic Telescope and manipulated pictures of planets, nebulae and constellations helped by astrophysicist Scott Marley.

The week was designed to coincide with the Leonid meteor shower, which comprises particles ejected by a passing comet.

The activities featured a talk delivered by Andrew Hatfield, a special guest from the Bradford Astronomical Society.

The events were rounded off with a space-themed fancy dress competition.

Mrs Parkinson thanked staff members Shirley Davids and Caron Stone for the work they did organising the star week.

She said the “meteor” was a rock sprayed with gold paint and also confirmed that the crater was a man-made hole, dug specially for the occasion.