Students from Burntwood School in Tooting are preparing for npower’s Climate Cops SOS final, judged by Alastair Campbell, on March 24.

The pupils were selected from hundreds of schools for their innovative project to clear up the River Wandle.

According to the students, the River Wandle has been treated “like a dustbin for 150 years”.

Mr Campbell said: “The students are demonstrating the power their generation can have to make change happen. If we all joined forces to do our bit, together we can make a difference.”

Working with the Wandle Trust, they aimed to highlight the challenges facing the waterway and make a positive difference to its future.

Facing stormy weather conditions, pupils put on their waders and went thigh deep to remove rubbish, even managing to coax some of the local primary school pupils and their parents to come along.

Pupils and teachers will take part in a finale event at Birmingham Think Tank with nine other schools, during which the winner of the year-long project will be announced.

The 10 schools have already won £1000 to help them develop their Climate Cops SOS project.

The day will showcase the finalist schools’ work, and celebrate their achievements over the past year.

The winning school will be awarded £20,000 and Apple Mac laptops for each student, with the two runner-up schools winning £10,000.

Pupils at Burntwood promise this is just the start of a long term campaign which will see them lobby local companies, individuals and community groups to take better care of their environment.

The pupils have already demonstrated a passion for the planet, installing paper recycling bins and energy saving light bulbs in every classroom.

They are also supporting Fairtrade products and are proud to have gained our Eco School Bronze and Silver Awards.

To find out more about the npower Climate Cops SOS competition, visit: npower.com/climatecopssos.