THE managing director of housebuilder Barrett North London treated pupils and teachers from his former school in Harlow to a special tour of Fifth Avenue, a major residential development in the town.

Glyn Hopping showed 21 children from Broadfields Primary School around the £100m scheme where Barratt is building 750 homes. The boys and girls watched various construction vehicles at work and had a go at bricklaying and block-paving.

The tour culminated with a look around the show village and a questions and answers session in Barratt’s sales and marketing suite.

Mr Hopping said: “I’m a Harlow man born and bred and the Fifth Avenue development, which is bringing a wide variety of much-needed new homes to the town, is very close to my heart.

“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to show children from my former school around the scheme; when I was their age I certainly didn’t think I would be building houses in Harlow and hosting my old school here.

“I hope we’ve inspired the boys and girls; I’d like to think some will enter the construction industry and perhaps they too will play a part in shaping the town’s future.”

Broadfields Headteacher Mary Dickinson said: “I’d like to thank Glyn for a great visit to Fifth Avenue, which was all the more special due to his being a former pupil of Broadfields. The children had a lovely time learning important lessons in building site safety while also having lots of fun trying their hands at bricklaying.”

Fifth Avenue is on a 27-acre site off Fifth Avenue, near the A414.

The first two phases include a range of one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom houses, along with a range of affordable homes.