A madcap professor has been visiting schoolchildren to teach them about how their families can recycle more.

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) recruited Professor P. Nut to share his expertise with pupils from Downsell Primary School in Downsell Road, Leyton, and Mayville Primary School in Lincoln Street, Leytonstone last week.

The professor, from Circus Takeaway educational theatre company, used toys, games and magic to explain the NLWA’s aim to get people from Waltham Forest recycling 50 per cent of their rubbish by 2020.

The amount currently stands at 30 per cent, but the cost of sending one tonne of waste to landfill is £120 – compared to just £40 to recycle it.

NLWA hope increased recycling rates will help councils save money to spend on other public services.

NLWA chair Clyde Loakes said: "We decided we needed expert help to get that message across to the children of north London, and so Professor Nut has been parachuted in to provide his valuable expert assistance - and a great job he’s done too!”