Thousands of primary schoolchildren in the district will be given potentially lifesaving lessons on drug awareness and healthy lifestyles, thanks to a city company.

Not-for-profit Sovereign Health Care has stepped in to buy a £70,000 mobile classroom that will enable Life Education Centres Bradford (LEC) to reach every primary school child in the city and surrounding district.

The cash, which will also pay to train an educator in the classroom, means LEC can now reach each of the 150-plus primary schools in the Bradford district, helping to steer youngsters away from drug abuse by teaching them about the dangers of drugs and the importance of healthy lifestyles. LEC trustee Dick Hazlehurst said the charity planned to buy its fifth mobile classroom in the Bradford area next March but the donation means they have the classroom ahead of schedule.

He said: "Instead of reaching 33,000 primary school children a year in the Bradford area, this classroom will allow us to reach all 50,000 annually - 100 per cent of the primary school children in the Bradford district. It is a fantastic gift that will benefit every child between the ages of three and 11 in the district."

The classrooms stay at each school for a week and can accommodate 30 children. The educators normally stage up to four teaching sessions a day tailored to the age range of the children. A hand puppet called Harold is used to get across the message to the youngest children while older pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and the implications of drug abuse.

Dennis Child, chairman of Sovereign, a healthcare cash plan company, said: "As a Bradford-based company, we have a special connection with the city both through the number of residents who are our customers and through our wish to put something back into the local communities we serve.

"The LEC is a charity with an admirable goal that must surely be supported by every parent and we are glad to help."

LEC works with schools and others in the community to help children make healthy choices by contributing to life skills and health education programmes.