A group of Ilford schoolgirls met prime minster David Cameron and royalty at a science fair earlier this month.

The pupils from Ursuline Academy, in Morland Road, wowed the prime minister with their work developing cheap natural materials to build homes in Bangladesh.

The team, the Sus-tain-ables, had investigated how mud can be used as a building material by building miniature houses.

Schoolmates the Science Angels had designed greenhouses for farmers in the Third World using prototype greenhouses and high-tech solar glass to make it easier for different crops to grow.

They were among 450 young scientists chosen to showcase their work to judges including celebrity physicist Professor Brian Cox the ExCel Centre.

Sus-tain-ables came away with the UKFT Textile Edge Prize, including a £500 trip to the House of Commons and a fashion show visit.

The Science Angels Won The Shell Prize for Sustainability and a £500 trip to a Science Museum event later this year.

Student Klara Prela said the experience was “amazing”.

She added: “One of the highlights was meeting David Cameron.

“When we were told we thought it was a joke, and we didn’t believe it until he came.

“It was very nerve-racking but surprisingly he was comfortable when we were talking.”

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Ilford South MP Mike Gapes also visited the fair on March 15.