THESE colourful characters are helping youngsters to dry their tears and ease their worries.

Primary schools in Brighton and Hove are using furry toys called Worry Monsters to help children cope with issues that either upset them or make them anxious.

Children either write or draw their worries on a sheet of paper and then put that in the Worry Monster’s mouth, who eats the problem up.

Hertford Infant and Nursery School in Barnett Road, Brighton, has three Worry Monsters, as part of a scheme between the council’s public health team and mental health charity the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust ,with one left in the corridor for children to use whenever they want.

Assistant headteacher Tracey Bowers said helping children deal with worries also means children enjoy school more and improves academic performance.

For more advice on children’s worries or mental health issues visit brighton-hove.gov.uk/public-health-schools.