Students at a school in Newham who performed a Christmas show were joined by an X-Factor star.

Lydia Lucy, 20, who was a contestant in this years X Factor surprised the students at East London Independent School (ELIS), in Varley Road on Tuesday, December 17, and watched on as they danced and sang on stage.

ELIS is a specialist school for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties with many coming from traumatic backgrounds and have become disengaged with education.

Lydia, from Romford, impressed judges in the audition stages but missed out on a place in the live shows after being knocked out as part of the Boot Camp twist.

The pupils also put together hampers for local residents, to continue building links with the community, offering to help fix fences, paint walls and offer a helping hand to the elderly residents near school.