TV presenter Adrian Chiles is backing Sunfield's Sunshine Week to help bring in funds for the Clent special school's £3.5m classrooms appeal.

The Hagley-bred host of The One Show and The Apprentice: You're Fired, who has been a patron of the Woodman Lane school for many years, is encouraging people to get sponsored and wear yellow in support of the week-long fundraiser.

Adrian, who was once a pupil at Hagley's Haybridge High School, said: "I am always happy to give whatever support I can to the wonderful work Sunfield does for its pupils, whose severe and complex learning needs mean they cannot be educated in mainstream schools.

"The new building is a really exciting project and Sunshine Week is a great way of getting the local community involved in reaching the £3.5m target."

Sunshine Week, which is also being supported by Old Hill born actress Josie Lawrence, follows last year's successful Sunglasses for Sunfield day - which raised more than £10,000 for a new minibus.

Youngsters at schools and nurseries and workers at businesses across the borough are being encouraged to get friends and relatives to sponsor them to wear something yellow during the week - which runs from June 9 to 13, or to don one of Sunfield's Sunshine Week T-shirts.

Adrian added: "You could go mad and dress up as a chicken, or you could simply wear one of the special Sunshine Week T-shirts, which you can get from Sunfield.

"This is a fantastic and fun way to raise funds for this wonderful school and I am hoping to see large amounts of money raised."

The state-of-the-art new classrooms planned for Sunfield, which are being designed to meet the needs of severely autistic students, will replace an old, outdated 1930s block - which is being knocked down - and a 1960s building, which is being refurbished.

Fundraising packs and promotional T-shirts for Sunshine Week are available from the school's appeals department on 01562 882253.