YOUNGSTERS have joined a nationwide campaign to help improve the environment for everyone.

Pupils from St Mary Magdalene Primary School, Kingsman Street, Woolwich, took part in a clean-up on October 20.

They tidied the grounds of St Mary Magdalene Church, as well as their school’s road and a nearby boarded-up house owned by the church.

Billy Lockwood, aged nine, said: “We managed to fill up seven bags with newspapers, tissues, cardboard boxes and even a shoe.”

And teacher Emma Lee said: “You wouldn’t believe how many cigarette butts there were.”

The clean-up was done by 16 pupils, all part of the school’s eco-warrior team of volunteers.

Set up last year, the eco-warriors help out around the school, collecting food waste, picking up litter and gardening.

Ms Lee said: “They all love looking after the environment. They tell me that helping the environment also helps make it a safer place.”

The event was part of the Big Tidy Up, a blitz on litter launched by environmental charity ENCAMS, which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

It aims to restore a sense of community pride and encourage everyone to clean up their patch.

Organisers wanted the campaign to be one of the biggest litter picks in history, and so far 12,874 bags of litter have been collected across the country.

Chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy Phil Barton said: "People are realising that the litter problem cannot be ignored and they no longer want to live in areas blighted by rubbish.

"We are delighted that so many people are taking part in the Big Tidy Up. Litter is a problem that affects us all.

“With nearly 7,000 groups registered to take part it is heartening to see how many people want to make a difference."

For more information visit thebigtidyup.org