A CONSULTANT cardiologist visited primary school pupils to teach them the importance of having a healthy heart.

Doctor Ahmed Farag spoke to year four pupils at Woolston CofE Primary School about healthy lifestyles and the role the heart plays in the body.

The Warrington Hospital medic set up the Smart Heart programme in 2016 and has since held workshops with more than 3,500 youngsters – many of whom have since convinced their parents to give up smoking or exercise more.

Children have written back to doctor Farag after his talks with posters that now appear in Warrington Hospital's corridors.

The pupils got the chance to try stethoscopes and answer fun facts about heartbeats, blood supply, a balanced diet and the effects of smoking and exercise.