A NOTORIOUS litter and flytipping site has been cleared after youngsters from a school wrote a letter to the local council pleading for help.

Members of the school council at Moor End Primary School, Oswaldtwistle, wrote to Hyndburn Council asking for help to tidy the back alley.

The pupils, who are aged 10 and 11, said that rubbish collecting in the alley, at the back of the school in White Ash Lane, was attracting rats and maggots.

The letter written by Malik Metcalfe, 11, Callum Lightbowm, 11, Jordan Goodman, 10, and Kimberley Smith, 10, said: "We want to get the back of White Ash Lane tidied up. People keep using this area as a tip and leaving rubbish which attracts rats, and maggots grow in it.

"We feel that we want to help clean this up because it looks like people are not happy with where they are living."

Council leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said: "Happily we've been able to get the area cleared, and Environmental Health officers will be writing to residents to warn them that action will be taken if anyone is caught littering or flytipping.

"However, as it is an unadopted road, the school will be getting in touch with the county council to see if they can sort the problem out in the longer term."

Moor End headteacher Christine Jackson said: "The children on the school council are a really strong proactive group and writing this letter is a fine example of them getting things done.

"We're really pleased the area has been cleaned and the children now plan to write to the county council to see what can be done to sort the area in the future, as we would like it to be cleared and paved."