An anonymous donor has helped a Braintree school invest in £5,000-worth of musical instruments.

The donor, who is believed to be linked to the Saffron Walden Academy Trust, gave Alec Hunter Academy the sum to buy new flutes, clarinets, saxophones, trumpets and trombones.

The Stubbs Lane school has now launched a loan scheme for Year Sevens to encourage them to learn to play.

Jacqui Davies, lead teacher of performing arts, said: "We have been delighted to loan out over 75 per cent of the instruments in phase one.

"The students were very excited and thrilled to receive their instruments on Friday.

"There were grins from ear to ear as they made their first sounds.

"Myself, the performing arts department and the academy are extremely grateful to the donor for this generous gift.

"It will enable students of all abilities and backgrounds to access and learn to play an instrument that they might not have ordinarily been able to.

"I am looking forward to watching their development towards becoming musicians in the following months and the launch of phase two with our new Year Seven intake in September."