It was a case of magnifying glasses at the ready for Holt Primary School pupils, when they returned from their Easter break to find a trail of three-toed footprints leading to a mysterious creature that had been captured by their teachers.

The mini Miss Marples and pint-sized Poirots followed a series of clues, including a nest, a giant egg, and two pointy teeth, before attempting to work out the identity of the weird and wonderful animal lurking inside a mysterious bundle sitting in the middle of the school hall.

The mystery was finally solved during morning assembly, when the bundle was unveiled, revealing a ready-to-paint dragon that will form part of the Norwich Go Go Dragons arts sculpture trail, which kicks off on June 21st.

Samantha Cole, who organised the arrival of the dragon with fellow Year 4 teacher and joint arts co-ordinator Eleanor Haynes, said youngsters had been fascinated by the mystery creature, coming up with suggestions including a chicken, a dinosaur and the Easter Bunny.

Go Go Dragons artist Sian Hogarth will be working with pupils this week, producing artwork including a chicken wire sculpture for the playground.

The dragon will be decorated on a rainbow theme with more than 100 scales, each of which will be adorned with a dragon-inspired word dreamt up by pupils.

Once finished, it will form part of trail through Norwich featuring 80 large dragons and 100 baby school dragons, before being auctioned off in October in aid of Norfolk-based care and respite charity Break.

Mrs Cole, who, with Mrs Haynes has organised a week of dragon-themed activities including a visit by a storyteller, said pupils were looking forward to seeing their finished dragon on display.

'I think it is a lovely experience for the children to see their work in a public place and it is rewarding for them to know that something they have produced will be looked at and admired,' she added.