A YOUNG boy has mustered the help of his school friends in encouraging dog-owners to clean up their acts.

Joshua Holmes, a pupil at Burley Woodhead C of E Primary, grew tired of avoiding dog dirt on his school route.

The problem was so bad along a pathway running behind Burley Allotments, off St Phillips Drive, he and friends had even devised a system to avoid it

.Janine Holmes, Joshua's mum, said: "We walk to school whenever we can. Joshua and the other children delegate someone to go on dog alert.

"There have been occasions when children have walked in it and it is not

pleasant. There are quite a few of us who walk up there, including mums with buggies and prams.

"The seven-year-old decided to take action against the dog-owners and put together a petition.

The bright youngster rallied school friends who use the pathway to his cause.

Joshua invited his friends to his house and printed up the petition on the computer.

Joshua said: "I thought it was bad so I decided to do something about it."

Mrs Holmes, of Grangefield Avenue, Burley, said: "It was all his idea. He said he was going to do a petition and got other children to sign it.

"I am pleased that he is aware of the importance of his environment."

And Mrs Holmes said they were appealing to dog owners to clean up after their pets.

She said: "People have to walk their dogs somewhere but the idea is that they clean up afterwards."

Sue Asset, head-teacher at the school, said she was proud of the youngsters' clean up campaign. She said: "I am very proud that Joshua and the other pupils are taking an interest and taking action on the problem, which does raise its head from time to time."

It is the children who are largely

affected by this so it is very good that they are doing something about it and raising awareness."

Hopefully the dog owners will take note."

Chris Haley, a member of Ilkley Parish Council, whose children attend the school and have signed the peti-tion, said: "A lot of children use this route, including mine.

"It is good that they cared enough about it to get up a petition. It was their own idea so I am quite proud of their

initiative."