Schoolchildren pulled together to thank a very special member of their classroom.

Pupils at Eden School in Macclesfield recently celebrated World Kindness Day by voting for their 'Kindness Hero'.

In the end, Panny the comfort toy was voted the winner, having become an increasingly popular source of support at the special educational needs school.

To show their appreciation for him, the children designed a series of special kindness hearts which were put on display.

Amy Shufflebotham, school administrator, said: "It's easy to forget that a simple comfort toy can play a massive part in a young child's life and can provide a vital source of support when things can become stressful for them.

"When we were looking to mark World Kindness Day, we asked the pupils here who they would like to nominate as a kindness hero and Panny was the overwhelming choice.

"He provides an important role at the school and we would like to see him as a kind of model for the children to appreciate the importance of kindness towards others in their daily lives."

One of the pupils at Eden school decorating their Kindness Hero, Panny (Credit: Eden School)