CHILDREN from a local nursery have been appointed as official product testers by Keighley-based educational furniture manufacturer British Thornton.

The three and four year-olds, who attend Handprints Nursery in Silsden, have been recruited to test and give their views on the final product designs of the Trudy Nursery range, being launched later this year.

The furniture incorporates innovative play and safety features and is one of the first in the UK to be coated in an anti-bacterial lacquer to help reduce the spread of infection in nurseries.

The launch will build on the success of the company’s existing Trudy range, which was launched in 2008 and has achieved annual sales figures of around £3million.

Jonathan Clark, product design director, said: “We designed this new range with pre-schoolers in mind, so what better way to put it to the test than to give it to the children who will actually be using it?

“It was great to see them enjoying using the equipment and getting invaluable invaluable feedback.”