SCHOOLCHILDREN have been using their creative and sales skills to help sick new born babies.

Cerys Court, Mia Kilby, Leah Hedges and George Lees, spent their evenings and weekends making hundreds of bookmarks.

Then twice a week during playtime at Langford Village School, Bicester, the four sold their wares to fellow students, staff and their families, in aid of the special care baby unit at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

The group raised £51 by selling more than 200 bookmarks and the amount was made up to £100 by the Friends of Langford School.

Bookmarks came in different colours and were decorated with stickers of television characters and flowers, and were sold for 10p or 25p depending on the design.

The group, all aged nine, sprang into action after a school friend’s baby brother was born 16 weeks premature. He is still being looked after by the unit.

George, who was also cared for at the unit when he was born eight weeks early weighing 4lb 4oz, said: “Now it’s my turn to help them.”

Headteacher John Moffitt said: “I am so proud of them because they have done it all by themselves.

“I am astonished how successful they were.”

The children will be handing over a cheque at the unit on Friday.