A team of creative students helped represent the borough in front of the eyes of the world by creating a magical float for the capital’s New Year’s Day Parade.

A total of 40 staff and students from Barking and Dagenham College transformed a lorry and 40-foot trailer, donated by Ford, into an enchanted forest, to fit in with the magical theme.

Entering a float into the parade is also a chance to raise money for a good cause and this year the borough’s mayor, Cllr Simon Bremner, chose local charity Sycamore Trust UK. The trust, based in Woodward Road, Dagenham, supports parents, carers and individuals affected by autism and learning difficulties and students collected money for the charity alongside the float.

Before the parade, the students were visited by Cllr Bremner, who looked over the float – the second in two years created by the college.

“I am very impressed with the students’ work,” he said.

“It certainly does look enchanting and a perfect fit for the magical theme.”

The televised parade through the capital’s streets, which featured about 8,500 performers from 20 countries across the world, began at noon from Hyde Park Corner and finished at Whitehall at 3.30pm.

The enchanted forest float was accompanied by a troupe of dancers from the Elite Dance Academy performing to songs including Queen’s A Kind of Magic.

College curriculum director Mike Paxton said: “Helping the Mayor create a unique float for the parade has become an annual event for our students and they love doing it.

“It gives the students a chance to put the skills they have learnt in class to the test and once again we are all very proud of what they have achieved.”