This Morning viewers reduced to tears by boy, 12, who penned poem to bullies

[Dracony]

THIS Morning viewers were reduced to tears after hearing a boy's poem for the bullies who told him "being ginger is worse than cancer".

Alfie Coleiro, 12, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was bombarded with vile messages on Instagram, Playstation and his mobile phone.

Some told him to kill himself and that his mother should have never had him because of his red hair.

Others tried to attack his friends, in a bid to frighten young Alfie.

But brave youngster hit back at the bullies in his poem, questioning if they had "anything better to do" as bullying isn't "nice or cool".

After he recited the poem on This Morning, dozens praised his bravery on Twitter, with Hollie Webb writing: "This little boy has had me in tears, so brave and so strong! Don't let the bullies win!!"

Another wrote: "So heartbreaking this kid is being bullied all because he's ginger! He's adorable!!

"Nothing wrong with him."

Sarah Martin thanked him for discussing his experience, because she has experienecd it herself.

She said: "Thank you so much for discussing the amount of bullying people with red or ginger hair get on a daily basis! I have suffered this myself thank you Alfie."

Ashley Bramwell wrote: "What a beautiful poem, he's a talented young man."

Dad Jay, 35, initially shared the poem on Facebook saying: “A message to the bullies who told my son to kill himself because gingers are worse than cancer - this is his message back."

Alfie’s mum Nyree, 30, said: “It kills me that my son was subjected to this.

"He was told that he should kill himself, that I shouldn't have had him, that having ginger hair is worse than cancer.

"They sent the messages to his friends as well. It was so much for a 12-year-old to handle.

"As his mum and dad it killed us knowing he was being put through it."

Two days after the messages began, one of Alfie’s teachers at Causeway School read them and had called his parents.

The mum added that it’s hard for her kids to escape the bullying, but she’s proud her son didn’t lose his confidence.

She said: “His teacher rang me because she had seen the messages - she told me she had cried when she read them.

"The school has been great. As soon as they found out about the messages they held an assembly for the whole school.

"They said if the messages didn't stop they would have to get the police involved.

"And it's worked, although we still don't know who sent them the messages have stopped.

"We were also anxious because we have four boys and three of them have read hair. But as parents we are just so proud of him that he didn't rise to it.

"He didn't lose his confidence or lose it in general. He's always been a popular boy - he loves making people happy.”

Alfie was also given free lessons at the MSK Martial Arts School in Eastbourne after finding out about his ordeal.

Ian Cooper, who owns the school, said: "One of the instructors told me Alfie's story and it was the least I could do after his horrific ordeal.

"I wanted him to get confidence in himself and help him in whatever way I could.

"Generally though as a club, we love helping out in the community, and think what Alfie did was great.”