BUDDING young engineers at a secondary school in Alveston have been given the chance to put their ideas to the test during a visit by technology giant Dyson.

Almost 30 year eight pupils from Marlwood School were given the chance today to come up with new ideas for products, design them and build models to present to the group, with guidance from Dyson associate principal engineer Michael Saunders.

The firm, which is based in Malmesbury, makes visits to schools around the country to help support and inspire young minds towards the sciences through the James Dyson Foundation, named after the company’s founder.

To start with, the pupils were given a presentation on the history of Dyson, and how its ideas were designed to solve problems.

The challenge was then set for them to design and build something that could be used at home to solve a problem, which in the standard Dyson manner, required the use of air.

Among the ideas put forward in the early stages were a blow-up air powered jacuzzi, a hair-drying brush and an air powered mechanism to close a toilet seat.

But Mr Saunders’ favourite was a concept put forward by one group who proposed a “drone bin” that could fly around the house to collect litter.

“I think it’s interesting,” he said. “It’s a bit of fun, rather imaginative and maybe a bit lazy but was definitely something that was unexpected.

“It’s very important for the state of the country to get our young people into research and development.

“Dyson is a big success in the UK and it is all based on ideas, and we will soon be relying on these young people to be producing those ideas - they are the future.”

Marlwood teacher Dan Dyer, who organised the visit, thanked Mr Saunders and Dyson for their time, adding that both he and the children really enjoyed themselves.

“It has been really interesting. It is always great to have an outside speaker come in, and bring their own expertise,” he said.

“What we are really trying to do, especially with our younger children who might not have thought about what they want to do when they are older, is to get them thinking about just that.”