Pupils put politicians in the hot seat at the launch of a green travel drive to cut pollution in Thanet.

School children took over Thanet District Council chambers in Margate for the launch of KM Green Champions and quizzed a panel on how walk to school schemes can help to protect the environment.

The schools in attendance were Minster Church of England Primary, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, St Mildred’s Primary Infants, St Ethelbert’s Catholic Primary and Cliftonville Primary. The youngsters grilled a panel of experts on issues including traffic jams and air quality in Thanet.

Environmental health officer Amanda Berry said she was impressed by the pupils’ enthusiasm for using green travel to cut traffic pollution and congestion.

She said: “Air pollution increases at peak times and the benefits of fewer cars on the roads are numerous, including the health gains for the children. The morning was a great success with every child keen to get involved.”

The Green Champions campaign, which is part of the KM Walk to School initiative, puts youngsters in the driving seat to promote green travel. They take part in fun activities such as poster competitions to encourage families to ditch the car for more active means of getting to school. They also lead by example by walking or cycling to school as often as they can.

Groups of pupils that come up with the best Green Champion ideas can earn limited edition t-shirts.

The campaign is supported by Kent County Council, Ashford Borough Council, Canterbury City Council, Maidstone Borough Council, Medway Council, Thanet District Council, Mini Babybel, Specsavers, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Countrystyle Recycling, Chaucer Foundation, Eurostar, Southern Water, Golding Homes, Jelf Insurance Brokers, Leeds Castle, Independent Music Productions, Whitefriars shopping area and Orbit South.

Schools wanting to find out more about Green Champions or to register for KM Walk to School schemes including Walk on Wednesday (WOW), Active Bug or Green Footsteps should visit www.kmwalktoschool.co.uk or call 0844 264 0291.

Parents and schools can visit the above website to sign up for a monthly e-newsletter for exclusive access to a Eurostar green travel competition. One child will win the chance to be an Ashford International team member for the day plus family travel for four on Eurostar to Paris, Brussels or Lille.