School children have raised more than �200 for victims of the Japanese earthquake.

Pupils from Beal High School in Woodford Bridge Road, Redbridge took action after the country was hit by a quake which measured 8.9 on the Richter scale and unleashed a tsunami leaving at least 2,400 people dead.

They spent yesterday afternoon making origami tulips which are being sold for �1 each.

The activity was organised by resource centre manager Min Fulton.

She said: “Our hearts are with the people who have suffered.

“We must do something to help those in need because they are starving and their homes have been destroyed.

“The children here have been really keen to do their bit and they are spending their break times helping me out.”

Origami is a traditional Japanese art of paper folding which sees a flat sheet of material transformed into a sculpture.