On the campaign trail: Bill English meets with school children

Prime Minister Bill English has arrived for his first campaign event of the day - a tour of Eastern Hutt School in Wellington.

He was given flowers by one student on arrival, and said it had been a long time since he'd received flowers.

As about 100 excited children thronged around him several told their classmates, "I got his signature".

The school visit became Increasingly chaotic, with a group of about 100 pupils swarming around him.

After a teacher blocked access to one classroom those outside pressed their faces to the glass to get a glimpse of the PM.

While being shown artwork English learnt the boy he was speaking to wasn't from the class he was in.

"He's from C1," another girl told the PM matter of factly.

National MP Chris Bishop accompanied the PM to Bishop's old school and met his former teacher, and also told the current road patrol team he did the same job with his old classmate Anna Paquin.

English is now touring Pertronic Industries in Taita, a fire equipment company.