KIND-hearted darts players swapped their arrows for paintbrushes as they gave up their spare time to finish off the decorating at a Felixstowe school.Builders have been carrying out a major project at Fairfield Infants School this year, completing the scheme during the summer holidays.

KIND-hearted darts players swapped their arrows for paintbrushes as they gave up their spare time to finish off the decorating at a Felixstowe school.

Builders have been carrying out a major project at Fairfield Infants School this year, completing the scheme during the summer holidays.

Caretaker Terry Richardson was determined the whole school should look spic and span when the children returned - but as he was recovering from a knee operation, he knew he couldn't do a classroom and the staff room which needed a lick of paint.

Instead, he asked at his local darts night for volunteers to give a few hours to help finish the job - while he made the tea.

Seven men from Felixstowe darts league offered help - Alan Playford, Les Aldis, Dick Hall, Dave Boreham, Geoff Edwards, Terry Hammatt, and Alan Stonham, whose father was a pupil at Fairfield, went there himself, as did his children and grandchildren.

Mr Playford, a painter and decorator, managed to speak to Travis Perkins, who agreed to donate the paint, and brought along his own decorating equipment to ensure a professional finish.

Jane Reed, headteacher of Fairfield Infants in High Road West, thanked the men for their hard work.

“This was a real labour of love and we are very grateful to them for all their hard work and to Travis Perkins who donated the paint,” she said.