THE high sheriff of Cumbria donned his Italian velvet court dress, cocked hat and sword for a visit to a Carlisle primary school - and was asked: "Are you a pirate?"

Chris Holmes DL fielded this and other questions including 'is your sword sharp', 'can you arrest people', and 'have you met the king' during a visit to Brook Street Primary School last week.

Mr Holmes visited classrooms and spoke to the children in assembly to explain his role, the history behind the position and why it is still relevant today.

The high sheriff had been keen to visit Brook Street as part of his duty to meet the people of Cumbria, and enjoyed finding out more about how children learn today and the school's multi-cultural community.

Mr Holmes, who was appointed in April, explained to the children how the role of high sheriff dates back to before the Norman conquest, and how it is the oldest Royal appointment, yet is entirely voluntary and non-political.

A key role of the post is to support law enforcement and emergency services as well as public, voluntary and community groups and he was especially keen to meet the mini-police offers at Brook Street who are part of Cumbria Constabulary’s mini-police program.

The uniform of the high sheriff of Cumbria has remained largely unchanged since the late 17th century.