Easter is the usual time associated with colourful eggs but it looks like someone forgot to tell a Stratford school.

Parents of children at Maryland School, as well as teachers, have been enjoying fresh, free range blue eggs laid at a coop called Cluckingham Palace.

Although the chickens, which are kept by a group of children called the Maryland Moneymakers, also lay brown and white eggs, it is the blue ones that are causing a stir.

They are laid by two Legbar hens and the colour of the eggshell is particular to the breed.

Lorraine Cooper, deputy head teacher at the Gurney Road school, said: “We have an enterprise group of children called Maryland Moneymakers, who have a business selling free range eggs from our eight wonderful hens to our parents and staff. We call them the Eggsperts and the children named their coop, Cluckingham Palace.”