STUDENTS from Japan were busy seeing the sights during a week-long stay as part of Tavistock College's exchange programme.

During their trip the students from Kanton Paiichi Senior High School in the Edogawa Ward in Tokyo, stayed with host families.

Their week was filled with many activities, including horse-riding, visiting the Eden Project, a day trip to Exeter and visiting Tavistock Town Hall for lunch and a visit to the Mayor's Parlour.

While at the town hall the students were all given a small gift, a print of Old Tavistock to take back with them as a souvenir.

Head of Japanese at the college Crispin Chambers said: 'They've had a wonderful time. Mitch Kingham at the fire station, whose son is hosting one of the students, put on an amazing fire display for them, and we had lunch at the Castle Inn at Lydford.

'We took 20 students over to Japan in November and now the hosts have come here. The exchange has been running for 12 years now and it's really popular — we've got students already signed up for two years' time.'

The Japanese students finished their stay with a cream tea in the Bedford Hotel with their host families.