Forget celebrity gazing, a few Newham A-level pupils became starry-eyed after encountering politicans at Westminster last Thursday.

East Ham MP Stephen Timms enthralled Year 12 and 13 politics from Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre with a talk about the inner workings of Parliament.

History and Politics A-level teacher Rachel Evans, who led the trip, said both her classes had been “very positive” about the experience.

She said: “The opportunity to meet Stephen Timms in such a small group - they really enjoyed that.”

“It was quite exciting for them. We did a bit of political celebrity spotting. David Lammy gave a kind of Hollywood wave and they loved that.”

The trip, which was run by the London Education Service but instigated by Stephen Timms, included a politics workshop, tour of Westminster and the opportunity for pupils to witness a debate on pensions in the House of Commons.