Pupils from a St Albans school got the chance to meet Alex Wheatle MBE, an award-winning British novelist, who turned his life around after being jailed for his involvement in the Brixton riots.

Year seven and eight students from Townsend School learned about the importance of reading when they met Mr Wheatle, who explained how reading offered him redemption after he was involved in the 1981 riots.

Fallon Ismail from the High Oaks school said: "The students were really engaged with his stories of his life and how through reading and self tuition he gained himself an education with his motivation and really turned his bad circumstances in life around."