The first class bands at Ulverston Victoria High School have been inundated with requests to play all around the world since one of them appeared live on Blue Peter earlier in the year.

The swing band struck the right chord when they played live on the children's Blue Peter programme at the end of May.

Since then wind and swing bands, who have just returned from a trip to Barcelona's where they performed in the city's jazz festival earlier, have received on average four requests per week to perform at various concerts.

One request included an invitation to play for the European Parliament in Strasbourg next year.

The school on Springfield Road has had to turn down many of the requests but is looking into the possibility of the two bands performing in the Rhind Valley in Germany next year.

The educational trips and instruments for band members are paid for through sponsorship from local businesses and general fundraising by the school.

Head of music at the school Richard Butler said: " Since playing on Blue Peter and the successful trip to Barcelona, where the students received national news coverage, we have been inundated with requests and it has just snowballed.

We have had requests from Bristol, London and all over.

"We are definitely looking in to the Rhind Valley concert next year as we consider it to be a cheap trip costing about £2,000 to £3,000, but it all depends on funding.

"We have had to turn a number of others down because of the cost and if we let the students play at each venue they would never be in lessons."