Schoolchildren heard a first-hand account of the Second World War when a veteran visited their school.

Whitefield School, Brent Cross, was visited by 92-year-old Mervyn Kersh, who gave a frank account of his time fighting, meeting concentration camp prisoners and rationing.

The pupils, in Years Nine and Ten, are studying the war in their history lessons and were able to ask questions and learn in a more personal way.

Head of history Tanya Ahmed said: “For our students to have the opportunity to listen to people who experienced and served in World War Two whilst also learning the facts is a really potent learning experience.

“Students are able to get the content and knowledge from books, their teacher and the internet, but the experience of meeting someone who was actually there isn’t something they have access to every day.”

Mr Kersh’s story included swapping meat rations for tinned peaches with his aunt and cousins, and offering chocolate to prisoners suffering from severe starvation in Bergen-Belsen.