PUPILS are so fed up with the state of their 'unsafe' playing field they have launched a bid for £10,000 to improve it.

The grass at the rear of Thorpe Hall Primary School, Hale End Road, Walthamstow, was laid over bricks and rubble from the Second World War.

It has crept to the surface creating potholed bumpy grass.

But without funding to replace it, Class 4OO pupils have worked on a project to bid for a new £10,000 new playing field from the national Playground Partnership Project.

Pupil Naeema Tariq-Mehmood, nine, said: "I have really enjoyed the project because I liked designing the playground and to see how it looks."

Haris Seedat, nine, added: "When we are playing football, the ball goes in funny directions and it hurts when you fall over. The project was really fun and exciting, so fingers crossed we will win." Pupils have carried out grass studies, obtained quotes for the work, designed their ideal playing field and filmed a short video clip which they sent to media companies.

ITV news programme London Tonight featured the story last week. Headteacher Paulette Houghton said: "The pupils have been totally fantastic in the way they have motivated themselves and how they expressed themselves to the media.

"They are delighted that someone is sitting up and taking notice of what they are saying."

Class 4OO teacher Ozen Orman put in two bids with his previous form classes and received two grants for £5,000 each. Part of the money was spent renovating the playground - including setting up a Banksy-inspired graffiti wall - and some has been set aside to re-surface the tarmac.

Mr Orman said: There are so many schools without a green space so we want to make the most of the one we have got."

The results of the bid will be received in October.