GREENPEACE supporters have collected over 200 messages in Bournemouth and Poole urging BP to shelve plans to carry out drilling near the Amazon Reef.

The calls form part of a petition which has been presented to the BP garage in Boscombe.

Bournemouth & Poole Greenpeace have been running stalls at a number of events this summer, including the Greenpeace Summer Jam at Chaplin’s in Boscombe.

They have been engaging with members of the public to inform them about the little-known and unique reef, and BP’s plans to drill in the environmentally-sensitive area.

They have also asked local people to write postcards to the oil giant’s CEO, Bob Dudley, imploring him and BP to act responsibly, cancel their plans to drill, and avoid endangering the reef.

Over a million people have signed a petition demanding BP halt their plans.

Simon O'Connor, a local Greenpeace activist said: “Scientists have only explored 5 per cent of this unique reef, which may be home to animals and plants new to science. But before the reef can even be fully explored and documented, BP want to drill for oil nearby.

“BP’s drilling puts this unique and largely unexplored reef under threat of an oil spill. This could cause irreparable damage to the reef, and also harm the world’s longest stretch of mangrove forest on the local coastline.”

He added: “The people of Bournemouth and Poole have delivered a clear message to BP. After the disappointment and subsequent re-branding of the Boscombe Surf Reef, we don’t want a similar situation where the newly-discovered Amazon Reef is inadvertently rebranded as an oil field by BP.”