CHILDREN at a Southampton school have made a European union with a difference.

Pupils at Beechwood Junior School in Bitterne have been flooded with letters from Bertolt-Brecht-Gesamtschule school in Bonn, Germany.

The heart-warming gesture was made after a teacher at the school, which is about 650 miles from Southampton, found a balloon released by Beechwood pupil Jade Higgins

Jade, 11, and her classmates each let off a standard balloon with a nametag for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in June.

Other letters have been received since - some from as far as the Czech Republic - but Jade's was the only balloon to receive letters from an entire class.

Now pupils and teachers alike at the school in Juniper Road are hoping to develop a special bond with their German counterparts.

Acting head teacher Chris Bulmar said: "We're excited by the opportunity to forge links with another school within the European Union.

"Mr Stanley and his class have written individual replies to each child in the German class.

"We hope to develop this new friendship further through the rest of the Year Six cohort writing letters to German children.

"The children and staff are eagerly awaiting replies and anticipating a mutually beneficial link between children, schools and cultures."

Every letter was written in English and had a photo of its author attached.

Children at Beechwood were unable to spare the time from their syllabus to write back in German.

But Miss Bulmar hopes a new German club could join the school's existing French club.

Jade was thrilled that her balloon had brought about such a fantastic opportunity.

Her mother Jill Higgins said: "It's quite incredible really."