The Advertiser & Review's Chief Photographer Jake McNulty has put together a video where pupils at the schoool explain the project. Click on Play to watch the film.

Pupils at the school have been learning about recycling and saving energy and have been looking at current issues such as biofuels and running engines on vegetable oil.

Not only has the ambulance been converted into a working fire engine, its diesel engine now runs on used cooking oil from the school kitchen.

Head of design technology at Swanbourne House School, Colbert Shepherd, said: "Several issues we have been looking at and which have also been on the news is being eco-friendly, trying to conserve fuel and how to run diesel engines on vegetable oil.

"We get the oil from the kitchen and refine it through filters and by heating the oil to a certain temperature using the engine cooling system then we are able to use it. Instead of the school paying to take the cooking oil away, we can use it."

Julie Goodhart, joint headteacher at the school, said: "The project is giving the pupils a chance to look into the future. It is an excellent example of a waste product being converted into a useful energy."

The Low Impact Living Initiative (LILI), which is based at the Redfield Community, near Winslow, runs courses on making bio-diesel and its next course is being held from August 29 to 31.

For more information telephone 01296 714184.