The Walliams Whirlwind descended on Great Missenden yesterday as the entertainer and popular children’s author made a flying visit to schoolchildren to mark World Book Day.

David Walliams touched down at Great Missenden CofE Combined School in the morning, as part of his whistle stop tour yesterday of six schools across the nation.

The school, in the town made home by legendary children’s author Roald Dahl, was one of a staggering 9,000 that entered a competition to have David visit. More than 400 pupils wrote to the author of titles like Gangsta Granny and Demon Dentist to secure their win.

After his spectacular landing, the author gave a talk from one of his books, spoke to children and was interviewed by a pupil - all before take-off, when he carried on to visit schools in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh.