Russell Brand posed for pictures with Sheppey students before jokingly pleading for them to give his wallet back on Twitter.

The comedian bumped into a group from Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey at the baggage reclaim of Heathrow Airport on Friday morning.

The year 10, 11 and sixth form pupils had just returned from a geography trip to New York.

Teacher Matthew Buckley said: “Mr Brand was brilliant and spent ages joking and laughing with the students and posing for endless selfies.

“He even tweeted to his 7,616,573 followers about his meeting with the academy students and, as I posed for the compulsory selfie, Mr Brand said how brilliant they were.”

The Hollywood actor later tweeted “Me and the kids of Oasis Academy, Kent. Please give my wallet back” – which was retweeted 254 times and had 616 favourites.

The trip was a year in the planning and saw the youngsters look at a variety of issues, including the growth of mega cities, immigration and the tourism industry.

They took in the Empire State Building, went on a boat trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, saw the traders at Wall Street and dined at a Forrest Gump-themed restaurant in Times Square.

Mr Buckley said: “Of course, the students took far more away than just the curriculum ideas as they explored Manhattan.

“The Virgin Atlantic cabin crew stopped me as I left to praise how wonderful they were and how they enjoyed the students’ enthusiasm on the flight.”

He added that the students were praised again by the NYPD for their conduct at the 9/11 memorial site.

The students also had a chance to see the penguins at the zoo in Central Park, went to the bakery from hit TV show Cake Boss and shopped in Fifth Avenue.

Other highlights included dinner at Planet Hollywood, seeing Broadway, using the New York subway, watching buskers, going to Little Italy and Chinatown.

They finished off the trip with some ice skating at the Rockefeller Center.