Schoolboy helps to clear up litter in Bosham - 'We were greeted by a bomb site'

On his regular morning walk with his mum and little sister on Tuesday morning, Funtington Primary School student Woody Willis was shocked to see broken glass and cans and bottles left around the shore.

With the help of his little sister, Orla, who put up a poster on the tree to ask people to stop littering, Woody started to clear up the mess.

In a letter to the Observer, he said: “As we came up to my favourite spot we were greeted by a bomb site. It was horrible. A lady with her dogs was already shouting ‘don’t go near the glass’.

“I didn’t like it one bit, it made me sad and cross. If you come and have fun it’s brilliant as long as you leave with only footprints left behind.

“There are many dogs and children that play throughout the day here too and this morning we could not have fun. We tidied your rubbish instead. Please think of us too and respect our lovely village.”

Speaking of her pride for her son, Woody’s mum Madeleine said: “[When he saw the littering in Bosham], he was really cross and it made him take action against it. He has done a very good job.

"This week’s topic at [Woody's] school was World Oceans Day. On Monday (June 8), we went out to Itchenor to do litter picking on the shores there."

Madeleine said littering is a ‘real issue’ in Bosham.

She added: “We never used to have a problem. Usually people are quite proud here and look after it and you barely see anything laying around.

"There’s been so many volunteers out and about tidying up.”

Richard Pratt, who co-chairs the Bosham Association and sits on the Save Our South Coast Alliance committee, said: "It's local practical action like this more than emollient empty phrases from authorities that cut the mustard around here.

"It's a simple message: 'enjoy our precious environment, take away only memories and photos and leave behind only footprints'.

Have you read?: Resilient community responds after ‘totally unacceptable’ anti-social behaviour at National Trust land in Bosham

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