10-year-old boy inspired to clean up beach after watching Blue Planet 2

Charlie Parkes, age 10, rallied friends, family and neighbours to help him clean the seafront in Lee-on-the-Solent.

The youngster was inspired by BBC television programme Blue Planet 2, where he saw the damage caused to animals in our oceans by waste plastic.

From this, Charlie began campaigning in school, in his neighbourhood and in shops to get people to come along and help him clean the seafront.

The group met by Lee-on-the-Solent skate park at 10am on Sunday, before heading down the seafront with litterpickers and binbags, provided by Gosport Borough Council.

His grandmother Lynn Reader said: ‘The day went really well.

‘We started with about 20 people, and had a few more join us later in the day – so we had about 30 of us in total.

‘It was a super day and Charlie was really pleased with how it turned out.

‘He has put in so much work organising this and is now looking to do something with his school in the summer.

‘We were talking to one of the rubbish collectors from the council and he said that it gets really bad in the summer months, so we’ll be back down here soon enough.

‘Everyone is really proud of Charlie and what he has achieved.’