New Fossil Site

The website, highlighting Littlehampton as a key destination for fossil collectors, was attracting so many "hits" people viewing its pages that the host company saw it as a rival for its own fossil website, and took it off the internet.

But now Roy and Lu, who both grew up in Littlehampton and often return to see their families, are back online with their own site, www.discoveringfossils.co.uk which has many features of the old one.

And they have been greatly encouraged by the support received by other enthusiasts in their new venture.

Said Roy, now living in London, where he works in marketing: "The new site gives us a new horizon to develop it with our own strategy. The move will also incorporate the support of several other websites to become live later this year, much in the same way our old hosts supported us in the first place.

"www.discoveringfossils.co.uk will soon exceed the achievements of the former site. We hope to be listed on the major search engines soon and then gain even higher listings."

Within just three months of being launched, Roy and Lu's first site was the second most popular fossils website in the UK, with more than 20,000 hits.

The two friends, who both went to Littlehampton Community School, will be adding new information and pictures to the existing material on their site, which includes information about fossil hunting in Littlehampton, Amberley Chalk Pits, Bracklesham Bay, Seven Sisters, Oxfordshire and Dorset, as well as advice on where to look for fossils and how to identify them.