An Olympic silver medal-winning athlete visited an Ilford school on Thursday to put pupils through their paces in a one-off PE lesson.

Students at the Isaac Newton Academy, Cricklefield Place, welcomed 100 and 200m Team GB sprinter Mike McFarlane to their school, where he taught a few lessons and took part in a special question and answer session.

Spokesman for the school Eleanor Seale said: “Mr McFarlane was a real inspiration to our students and he taught them the importance of trying new things and getting active.

“I think the children found the drill-like PE lessons very tough, because he made them difficult to push the students, but I think they got a lot from it and realised they can push themselves harder and nine out of ten times they will succeed.”

The Olympic athlete competed during the 1988 Games in Seoul, where he won 4x100m relay silver, as well as the Commonwealth Games in 1982 and 1986.