Worthing boy builds robot with a special message for his mum, an NHS worker fighting the coronavirus

With his dad Jason, Tyler Urbacz made Bertram out of baked bean cans screwed together with other tins they had at home and completed with eyes made of torches: the original inspiration for the robot.

The friendly scarecrow - or scarerobo? - has been sat pride of place at the end of their drive in Elm Grove, Worthing, with a different message written on a whiteboard draped around its neck each day.

Today (March 26), that note is telling people to join in with a national applause for NHS workers outside their homes at 8pm.

Tyler said: "I think the NHS needs help, because they are risking a lot to go into work.

"The NHS is helping us; every place is shutting but they still have to go to work."

It has special relevance to the family, as Tyler's mum Alison is an NHS nurse working hard to keep people healthy during the pandemic.

His dad Jason added: "Tyler's mum is a nurse and she is going in every day, and so are thousands of others. She needs all the support she can get.

"She went out to work early in the morning and didn't get back until late at night, and she is going to be redeployed pretty soon and she doesn't know where. It is a stressful time for them as well as us."

Tyler said they had inspired a neighbour who had also made a scarecrow; theirs had a mask of Prince William's face and a note telling people to stay indoors.

"We are setting a trend," he said.

Jason hoped people would take heed of the note.

He said: "If we can do a little bit, just getting our neighbours and friends out to give them a round of applause, it will make us all feel a little bit better."

He added: "You may not like Boris, but it would be great if you did as he says for the next couple of months or so."