COMMEMORATIVE coins were presented to Christ Church Primary School pupils in celebration of the Queen’s 90th birthday on Monday (May 23).

Courtesy of the Bradford on Avon Town Council, 419 gold coins were given out to the school, with Mayor Alison Craddock presenting them first to the school's council.

The youngsters gleefully collected their Tower Mint 32mm solid gilding medal coins which were presented in a bespoke royal blue gold embossed card surround in a protective case.

A Year 5 pupil said to the mayor: "Thank you for the coins, we really appreciate it and it is something to treasure on behalf of the Queen's 90th birthday."

The proposal was carried out by the town council at their full council meeting at the tail end of March and cost £1,444.28.

Christ Church School's deputy head Claire Hann-Perkins said: "They were really well received and they are very grateful. All of them were very excited to receive these lovely coins.

"This follows on nicely from our Year 1's doing portraits of the Queen and our Year 5's doing a topic on the changing of the Monarchs, so it came at the right time."

Mayor Alison Craddock added: "They were quite pleased and excited by it all. For the Queen's Golden Jubilee we gave out mugs but I think the school were able to manage coins a little easier - it is hard to station hundreds of mugs.

"We thought it would be a nice thing to do, after all the Queen only turns 90 once. It was lovely also to be back at the school where my two sons and granddaughter went, so it was nice to pop back in there."

A further 307 coins were given to every Fitzmaurice Primary School pupil on Thursday.

Cllr Laurie Brown said: “This is a fantastic idea and they look wonderful. It is a great way to mark a special event.”

“Not to give children the chance to remember an occasion like this would be wrong. This is a lovely tangible gift for the kids that they can remember for a long time, I know I certainly would if I received this as a kid,” said Cllr John Potter.