PUPILS at an independent village school have helped set a new world record for simultaneous singing.

Two hundred children at St Faith's, Ash, joined other schools across the United Kingdom and Ireland at precisely the same time, to produce 83,121 voices all singing at the same time.

The event, which was ratified at the end of last week, beat the previous Guinness world record of 15,000 and raised £42,000 for Sargent Cancer Care for Children, the national charity named after the late Sir Malcolm Sargent.

A spokeswoman for St Faith's said pupils between the ages of five-11 took part.

"Along with all the others they sang Tell me Why? described as a message to the world from children, and we are now looking forward to receiving a certificate recognising the part we played in setting the record," she added.