A member of an exploration group named the 'Northern Monkeys' went to a school to tell the children about what he and his pals have discovered while they have been out exploring as a follow up to the schools involvement in the trout release.

Bruce Lee-Knowles visited Springfield School in Burnley where his children are being schooled to speak with the year six pupils about items the 'Northern Monkeys' group have found on their adventures.

He along with Damion Whitton and Chris 'Kipper' Taylor who make up the trio are most famous for clearing a huge amount of fly tipped waste from a large woodland area by a lay-by on Bacup Road, their efforts of which made national news.

The group spend their time investigating lost areas, including mines, around the county and once they find them they will explore and see if they can find any artifacts from when they were in use.

The trio have also made a memorial for the 19 victims of the Hapton Valley Colliery explosion.

Conducting a show and tell, Bruce showed the pupils some of the items the group have found while exploring including some fools gold a coal ball, a selection of different fossils of ammonite and goniatite, mining tags that were found at the Towneley colliery and a selection of other items.

Bruce said: "The school asked me if I'd like to give a talk as two of my children are in the school. I was really nervous but of course I agreed and said yes I loved every minute of it.

"The children responded really well and asked lots of questions."

Bruce also spoke about the groups experience finding the Towneley Colliery, which is where the marine balls with the fossil was found.

The group suspect it has come out of Bogart bridge which was connected to the colliery because of where the fossil was found.

They also discussed their discovery of a lost 13th century iron mine on Ruddle Scout, Cliviger which had been lost since the 1800's until it was found by the trio who also managed to get inside.

Part of the school's pastoral team, Lisette Wilson said: "We asked him to come into the year six class because we have been doing the trout release with the Ribble Rivers Trust.

"We thought it was a nice follow on with the big fish fossil they [Northern Monkeys] found.

"He was brilliant. To say that he has not done that kind of thing before he was really good, really knowledgeable in what he discussed."