Cambridge Beaches and Sandys Middle School have come together to adopt a stretch of the Railway Trail which they have pledged to keep clean.

The hotel hopes it will foster better relations with the school, while Sandys Middle School Principal Melvyn Bassett is confident the clean-ups will encourage students to be better citizens.

They formally adopted the one mile stretch of the western end of the Railway Trail on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting celebration.

As well as keeping the line clean, students will carry out projects monitoring subjects such as debris and trash on the ground.

Cambridge Beaches President Michael Winfield said: "Together we have formally adopted that section of the Railway Trail and we believe this is a first in Bermuda.

"It is a community partnership between a school and a leading business coming together with a determination to improve the community.

"It will give the students a sense of responsibility and understanding of the significance of this asset, and for the community, it will provide somewhere for recreation and a clean environment.

"With adopting this stretch of the trail, we are hoping that if the kids see someone someone tossing a bottle, they will ask them to think twice about it."

Mr. Bassett said yesterday: "We want to try to keep it clean, but also use it as an opportunity to help young people to see that this is an absolutely important part of their community responsibility.

"Each person has to keep it clean. We're also trying from an environmental perspective to help the young people appreciate the environmental value of keeping it clean and tidy.

"We will be monitoring things such as debris and might even make recommendations to Government on solutions.

"Both the education sector and the business community are coming together to foster a relationship to rebuild the Sandys and Somerset community because we have concerns about the condition of the community.

"There has been a deterioration in the quality of life through drug problems, young people congregating and idleness. If we start to come together and discuss issues, we might be able to find some solutions to the even more challenging issues in our community."