IT'S not every day you see pirates and mermaids strolling across the Somerset hills, but that was the sight which greeted walkers recently.

That was because youngsters from specialist dyslexic school Edington and Shapwick completed a sponsored fancy dress walk in aid of the RNLI.

The ten-mile walk was inspired by teacher Danny Burnett, who is a yachtsman with the life-saving charity.

He said: "They thought it was appropriate to do the walk in fancy costume.

"We did get a few funny reactions in the streets of Glastonbury and one guy in dreadlocks, a dead ringer for Blackbeard, offered to join us."

It was the second such walk undertaken by pupils, an earlier effort raising £200 for the same fund.