Rwanda’s top diplomat to the UK visited a Watford secondary school to thank pupils for their efforts knitting blankets for orphans in the country.

Williams Nkurunziza, High Commissioner of Rwanda, dropped by Watford Grammar School for Girls, in Lady’s Close, on Thursday.

Students, staff, and parents have knitted 50 blankets for needy children in the country after efforts started by a lunchtime club snowballed.

Headmistress, Dame Helen Hyde, said: "Knitting for this excellent cause has really caught on at WGGS. We started Knit & Knatter as a lunchtime activity, when pupils and staff spend time together chatting and knitting20cm squares to sew together as blankets for children.

"Many girls have learned to knit for the first time and are very excited when they complete their first square and then see it sewn into a finished blanket."

During his visit the High Commissioner was given a tour of the school and watched Year 7 pupils rehearsing a Shakespeare play ahead of an open-air performance for parents later this week.

The school said some more blankets are being taken to Malawi by a group from St Luke’s Church, Watford, later this year, though a consignment was always intended for Rwandan orphanages.

Dame Helen added: "It is a great honour for the school. His Excellency and I also talked about possible links between WGGS and schools in Rwanda, which is something we are very keen to develop."

In return Mr Nkurunziza left Dame Helen some literature on the genocide of 1994, Rwanda’s history and its many tourist attractions, along with some Rwandan tea.