A KEIGHLEY school pupil was surprised and excited to be invited to read out his own poem about plastic pollution for a national radio station.

Sam Bailey, 12, of Holy Family Catholic School, had originally composed the poem, called The Planet is Dying, for National Poetry Day.

He got the idea for its content from his father's concerns about discarded plastic's impact on the environment.

His mother sent half of his poem about plastic polluting the sea to BBC Radio Five Live, and a couple of weeks later the station got back in touch, asking if Sam could read out the finished version.

Sam, who lives in Eldwick, recited the poem to the station over the phone, and the recording was broadcast to the nation at 9.15am.

Sam said: "The radio station phoned up just as I was going to school, so I didn't even have time to practice.

"I'd never been on the radio before and they were pretty shocked when they found out that I was just 12. I feel quite proud to have done this.

"I wrote the poem because I hope it will make a difference, and will help stop people using and throwing away so much plastic.

"Plastic pollutes the sea and doesn't rot away like normal rubbish does. It's takes hundreds of years to disappear."

Holy Family has framed his copy of the poem, which will also be published in the school's newsletter.