Learning to play the recorder at school makes children lose interest in music for life, say researchers at Keele University.

The study of more than 1,200 children found that the instrument does not match their image of music and their wish to mimic their pop idols.

The recorder is the most popular instrument for primary school children, the study shows.

But because the children do not see pop stars playing the recorder they turn away from playing music as they get older.

Children... just don't see pop stars out there playing the recorder

Dr Susan O'Neill

Researchers at the Staffordshire university studied why children give up playing an instrument when they move from primary to secondary school.

Dr Susan O'Neill, senior lecturer in psychology, said: "The majority of children told us the recorder was the instrument they actually played but when we asked them what they would most like to play the recorder wasn't even mentioned.

"The biggest problem with the recorder was that they thought it very much as a child's instrument or as a toy.

"Children approaching adolescence want to look like the role models they see in the music world and they just don't see pop stars out there playing the recorder.

"Children obviously get the message that this was something to play at primary school but at secondary school it's not considered a real and meaningful instrument to play."