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William Mullin is like no other schoolboy his age.

While other 11-year-olds enjoy lie-ins and spend the school holidays glued to computer devices, the Colne Valley High School pupil is up with the larks feeding his 50 chickens and 100 prize-winning sheep.

Six months ago, William came up with the idea of selling fresh eggs to the local community in Marsden, to raise money towards the cost of caring for his ever-growing family of animals and hatchery business.

He carefully set-up a selling space with an honesty box at the bottom of a field off Binns Road, where the family farms sheep, and since then his fresh eggs have become a hit with the community and walkers alike.

But his farming spirits were dampened after thieves decided to target the honesty box where kind-hearted shoppers place their pennies in return for boxes of fresh eggs.

(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Mum Jamie Mullin said: "I think it's terrible to take money off an 11-year-old who is trying to earn money when it's probably someone who can't be bothered to go to work and thinks it's ok to just take the money off a kid.

"This was all his own idea. He has been farm-mad since he could walk and has spent years building up his sheep and chickens, using all his own money.

"He works so hard. He gets up at 6.30am to go collect the eggs and check on his chickens before school. He mucks them out, puts down fresh bedding and feeds them. He spends all his money on them and even asked for an incubator for Christmas so he could hatch even more chickens. He's now got about 50 or 60, and it's growing all the time."

The youngster, whose parents and grandparents all farm locally in Holmfirth and Slaithwaite, couldn't believe his eyes when he realised his money had been raided.

Jamie added: "He was so sad and angry because the money he gets from selling eggs he uses for more feed or equipment for his chickens.

"It has been going on for a couple of weeks. The first time, they stole all the money and eggs, and threw them all at the windows down the road.

"Then, we'd go to top up the eggs and find the eggs had sold but the money had gone. We don't know whether it's teenagers or kids who keep emptying the money but unfortunately he has had to learn that not everyone is nice."

(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

Jamie and husband Daniel were so cross they posted the incident on social media, and were overwhelmed by the support and encouragement from the Marsden community.

"They've all been so lovely," said Jamie. "Especially the person who put £20 in the box to cover William's loss of earnings. It shows there are some nice people out there.

"We've been inundated with requests for eggs and they are selling so fast, William is having to go up there four or five times a day to fill them back up and make sure the money is emptied.

"We've now fitted CCTV so whoever is stealing better smile for the camera, then I can show it to the police. His dad is also building him a better box to make it more secure."

William, who has a sister Olivia, is now on a mission to grow his egg business even further due to the increased demand.

The Holme Valley Young Farmers member has already made a name for himself, winning prizes at the Yorkshire Show for his Herdwick sheep and has taken first place a Holmfirth show for his chickens.

And he's even been known to take charge of lambing, delivering newborn lambs before going to junior school, when his dad Daniel was injured last year.