KIDS from Belvedere Infant School will never forget the day a 40-tonne truck rumbled into their playground.

The pupils were shown class by class the motorway monster, on November 26, and cooed as they heard it weighed as much as seven elephants.

They watched as the truck squashed a traffic cone flat in just a few seconds.

Some children got to sit in the driver’s seat to get a look from his point of view.

Lily Butterworth, aged seven, said: "When I sat in the truck with the engine running I couldn’t see or hear any of my friends outside, even when the whole class shouted as loud as they could!”

But there was also a serious safety message being passed on.

Pupils learned how big the lorry’s blind spot was by fitting 28 children in it.

They also learned that it would take the lorry the length of a full-sized football pitch to stop at 50 mph in dry conditions.

Councillor Val Clark, vice chairman of the London borough of Bexley's transport users’ sub-committee, said: "Having a real lorry here really helps the children fully understand the dangers involved and the difficulties drivers have in seeing them.

“This is an excellent initiative and I'd like to thank DHL for helping to keep Bexley children safe."

The initiative has been developed by the DHL Foundation. The sessions are delivered and funded by the DHL Dartford Depot.