WANSTEAD: Students hit the high street for litter pick (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

WANSTEAD: Students hit the high street for litter pick

1:17pm Thursday 1st July 2010 in Education News By James Ranger

STUDENTS from one of the borough's secondary schools took to the streets of Wanstead for a litter pick this week.

A group of 24 youngsters from years 9, 10, 11 and 12 at Wanstead High School spent an hour out and about on Wanstead High Street, picking up litter and helping to tidy up the busy road.

Deputy headteacher Samson Olusanya said: “It went very well. We're very grateful to the police who sent quite a large team down to help organise it.

“We're also very grateful for the co-operation of our students, who were happy to volunteer for it, even though they were really going out to pick up other people's rubbish.

“We also went into quite a few of the local shops, some of which we've had complaints about in the past.

“On the whole, they were all very positive about the behaviour of the students, and said that it was really just a minority that were causing problems.

“We want to work towards building a good relationship with local people and businesses.”

Sergeant Brett Hagen, of Snaresbrook Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: “It was excellent, it went really well.

“We ended up with 10 or so big bags full of rubbish. All of the kids were fantastic, and they all volunteered for it as well.

“The feedback from the public was great too, the were really happy to see the kids making a contribution, and I think that sort of thing counts for a lot with people.

“It's definitely the sort of thing we'd consider doing again.”