CHILDREN are showing how much they love food but hate waste at a school in Worcestershire.

Year 4 pupils from the Burlish Park Primary, Stourport-on-Severn, have been busy making pumpkin soup and pumpkin pies in their cookery lessons.

Following a recent visit to the Southall’s Farm near Stourport, 60 pupils were given pumpkins to hollow out over Halloween.

On their return to their school in Windermere Way after the half-term holidays, pupils decided they would like to find out how they could use the flesh from the pumpkin as much of the fruit had been thrown away during Halloween celebrations.

Eco schools co-ordinator Lynda Williamd said: “Our pupils were really motivated to find out how they could use pumpkins in their cooking lessons.

“Seeing all 60 pumpkins together made them realise just how much pumpkin nationwide is wasted every year and they want to do something about it.

“They enjoyed researching the recipes as well as eating the delicious soup and pie afterwards.

“Next year we hope to produce a recipe book prior to Halloween to encourage more people in the community to cook the pumpkin flesh they scoop out rather than throwing it away.”

According to the government’s Waste and Resources Action Programme, approximately 8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK every year, costing the average family with children £680 annually.