Tory MP tells kids 'We need to find the b******s who did this' as he launches angry rant against litter
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A Tory MP told schoolchildren “We need to find the b******s who did this” as he raged about litter and pollution.
Outspoken Sir Desmond Swayne swore while addressing Year Six kids at an event in the House of Commons about rubbish strewn around a beauty spot.
The maverick former minister, who was the top Commons aide to David Cameron when he was PM, was meeting youngsters from Walhampton School in his constituency when he let rip with the outburst.
New Forest West MP Sir Desmond told the Mirror: “We were taking about littering the Forest, referring to anyone who dumps stuff all over the Forest.
(Image: Nick Lucas / SWNS.com)
(Image: Rex)
“Have you been down to the New Forest recently?
“I cycle to and from the station when I’m on my way and I do a great deal of dog walking.
“Even in the middle of nowhere you will find people who have gone to the trouble of putting their dog poo in a little bag and then hanging the bag on a tree branch or on a bush.
“I was referring generally to anyone who pollutes the place.
“This is the most magnificent, rarest landscape, lowland heath and people are trashing it, people throw stuff out their cars the whole time.
“We had a discussion with the children - you know, what is the solution to this? - and I just said off the cuff, ‘We’ve got to get the b******s who dump their litter everywhere’.”
Insisting he wasn’t referring to anyone specifically, he added: “Just the b******s.”
Defending the language used in front of the kids, he said: “I think they were OK, I think they are strong enough to handle it.
“Put it this way, there appeared to be no sense of shock either amongst their teacher or the students themselves.”
Sir Desmond, 61, was attending a parliamentary reception organised by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and Brita, which makes water filters, om April 17.
It was held to mark the launch of a report aimed at raising awareness of litter in the seas.
Ex-Territorial Army officer Sir Desmond, who was also an economics teacher, was one several MPs who attended.
(Image: BBC)
He later tweeted a picture of him with five kids from the school, saying it had “some great ideas for beating the plastic and litter problem”.
The school trumpeted the visit on its Facebook page, saying: “Six Year 6 pupils from Walhampton attended a presentation to MP’s (sic) in the House of Commons.
“We were invited by Keep Britain Tidy, supported by Brita, who had run two Plastics Challenge workshops at the school last term.
“Walhampton was one of two schools talking about ideas to reduce single use plastic waste at the event.
(Image: Getty)
“The pupils enjoyed meeting notable visitors who spotted our Eco-Schools Green Flag and our huge reused top turtle artwork.”
The £17,000-a-year private school, near Lymington, Hants, teaches youngsters aged two to 13.
One of the pupils pictured was shown holding a collage of a turtle.
Sir Desmond was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Mr Cameron for two years after the then PM entered No 10.
He was promoted to a become a Government whip in charge of party discipline.
He held the role for two years before becoming a Minister in the Department for International Development.