Children showed their delight at being able to dump their masks as they arrived for lessons yesterday without the protective gear that came to symbolise the Sars outbreak.

Yue Yun-fai, headmaster of the morning section of Sheng Kung Hui St Peter's Primary School, said: 'The children were very happy when they found out they didn't have to wear masks anymore. Less than 10 out of the 600 students wore masks today.'

Primary Two student Landis Leung, eight, said it had been a constant reminder of the danger they faced. 'When we first started having to wear masks, I got scared every time I saw the other students with their masks on. It was also much harder to understand people's emotions as I couldn't see their facial expressions'. Lai Yik-wing, also eight, added: 'Now I can see the smiles of the other students. Wearing a mask was a constant hassle.'