CHILDREN are helping save trees from the chop by recycling Christmas cards.

The 440 youngsters from Raglan Primary School, Bromley, have amassed 311,426 cards for the 2006 Christmas Card Recycling Scheme.

The national project run by The Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, in partnership with Tesco and WH Smith, aims to protect trees.

Around 400,000 cards need to be recycled to save a tree.

Ben Wiltshire, nine, a Year 5 pupil at the Raglan Road school, brought in more than 28,000 cards.

The school's recycling co-ordinator Annette Rose said: "This really brings home the importance of recycling as a worthwhile activity.

"The children have learnt by recycling paper we can help protect our woodlands."