PUPILS were praised as they received prizes for their participation in a town project.

Hundreds of members of the community got involved with Mold Spring Clean between April 5 and 8.

As well as tackling a number of clean-up schemes across the town, the scheme invited children to design a 10th birthday card for the spring clean mascot, Springy.

Children also took part in an environmental quiz for a prize.

Both winners, pupils at Ysgol Bryn Gwalia in Mold, were congratulated and handed their prize by Springy and Mold mayor Cllr Karen Hodgkinson on Tuesday morning.

Year four pupil Evie Pritchard received an environmental bundle - including a year's membership with North Wales Wildlift Trust, a bird house and feeder, a Springy T-shirt, a North Wales Wildlife Trust book and more - for her winning design of Springy's birthday card.

Elena Jones, year six, received a pack of sweets and goodies from Spavens in Mold for winning the quiz.

Cllr Hodgkinson told the Leader: "Well done Evie - it was very hard judging the cards this year and there were a lot of entrants.

"Well done to Elena as well because that was a really hard quiz ans she did very well.

"It's really important that the community comes together with projects like the spring clean, especially the younger generation.

"The education it provides is also important for their future."

Head teacher Dilwyn Jones praised both pupils for their hard work, adding: "It's obviously a global issue that they are very aware of.

"It is also part of the new curriculum for Wales that we are pioneering at Ysgol Bryn Gwalia."

Springy told the Leader: "I had a fantastic 10th birthday and had lots of cards from children. "Mold looks fantastic - thank you everyone for contributing and I look forward to seeing you all again next year."

A total of 730 volunteers contributed more than 875 hours of their time to the town's spring clean, which saw gateway signs cleared, litter picking carried out, 'grot spots' to the rear of the former Co-op store cleared and the River Alyn banks addressed.

More than 330 bags of rubbish were also collected.