THE father of a staff member at a local primary school gave pupils a fascinating insight into the tragic First World War experiences of his own grandfather.

Richard Hodgson met pupils at Sutton Community Primary. He is the father of Emily Whitehead, who teaches at Sutton CP. Three of his grandchildren attend the school.

A spokesman for Sutton CP School said the youngsters were "enthralled" by the presentation.

She added: "Richard Hodgson came along to share the story of his grandad, Ralph Hodgson, who fought and died on the Somme.

"Accompanied by a life sized model of his grandad, Mr Hodgson shared stories and family memories as well as letters and mementoes, including a biscuit tin full of letters from the front.

"It was a truly memorable experience for our children, helping make history real and enabling them to understand the terrible cost of the war.

"Mr Hodgson was a great storyteller and the pupils learned many facts, including how photographs of soldiers at the front were taken with a cloth background so the pictures hid the reality of what it was like on the frontline.

"Our pupils were saddened to hear how Mr Hodgson's grandfather died from fatal wounds in 1918, only eight weeks before the war ended."