Lady Godiva is musically celebrated in city centre

The students gathered in Broadgate on Friday morning ahead of their performance

Inspired by Lady Godiva, more than 750 Coventry schoolchildren have taken to the city's streets, but on this occasion the group performed a musical dedicated to the medieval icon.

Students gathered in Broadgate to perform Lady Godiva's Birthday Suit The Musical, a show based on the famous woman who, according to legend, rode naked through the city's crowded marketplace in protest of high taxes.

Coventry author Aaron Ashmore wrote the book the musical is based on and said he decided to adapt the story into a show to help schools promote the area's history.

The pupils were also joined by the Royal Ballet for parts of their performance.

The author said he had originally written the book to "kickstart" how children learned about the city.

Lady Godiva, the wife of Leofric, the Earl of Mercia, one of the most powerful noblemen in 11th Century England, endlessly appealed to her husband to reduce Coventry's taxes, according to legend.

He declared he would do so if she rode naked through the streets and that is what she did, as her hair covered all but her legs.

The performance was part of Coventry Schools' Arts Week

Mr Ashmore said: "This is the place I've grown up in, I've been in Coventry all my life so seeing this [performance] in the city centre is really cool.

"I want to shout about Coventry, I want to be a city that shouts about itself and I think the best way we can do that is through our young people growing up."

"This is about as good as it can get for me," he added.

Mia who is in year nine at West Coventry Academy in Tile Hill, was one of the students involved, she played a fanfare from a balcony at the start of the show.

"It was really enjoyable and it is good to do something so important to the city," she said.

"It was really nice seeing everyone coming together, Lady Godiva is a really significant figure so it's good to recognise Coventry's history," the year nine student added.

The 45-minute show was part of the city's Schools' Arts Week.