CHILDREN made their debut on TV after they gave guinea pigs a new home.

Staff and kids at Janet Duke Primary School, in Laindon, recorded Auf Wiedersehen My Pet on ITV Wednesday afternoon.

The school has been featured after the production company got in touch to ask if they would consider adopting Poppy, Maggie, Oliver and Summer.

The show, which launched this week, helps pet owners find the perfect new home for their animals, which they are unable to look after anymore.

Laura Retigan, 27, eco schools coordinator at Janet Duke, said: “It was so lovely for the children.

“They approached us and asked if we could rehome the four guinea pigs.

“They took the lady owner to two homes before us and then she saw the children and decided to give them to us.

“It was a bit emotional for her because she hadn’t thought about giving them to a school.

“But she loved it when she came here and was overwhelmed by the reaction of the children.

“We had three guinea pigs already – Jessie, Angel and Fudge – so they all live in a threestorey mansion hutch together.

“They have 600 children who want to love them.”

The guinea pigs moved into the school in December.

Ms Retigan said: “It was really lovely for the children to be on TV. It’s not something that happens everyday after all.

“We set our TVs to record it but we are hoping to have a school showing of the program on Friday so everyone can watch it.”