The latest litter pick in West Moors attracted fresh faces and new volunteers. One dedicated resident with a bad foot hobbled around with her litter pick, another spent extra time separating the recyclable items from landfill ones, helping the planet that little bit more.

A spokesperson on behalf of the town council said, “The sincere dedication of our West Moors residents is undeniable. Between these 20 wonderfully generous litter heroes, 26 bags of rubbish were removed off the streets of West Moors. It would bring satisfaction to say that the litter pick today was an early spring clean, but unfortunately, West Moors Town Council has been carrying out bi-monthly litter picks, since 2021, and this was yet another necessary clean-up of litter that is strewn onto our streets, every day.”

She explained that an unacceptable amount of cigarette butts was collected and said: “Cigarette butts are made of a type of plastic (plasticised cellulose acetate), and are not biodegradable. One can take 14 years to break apart, its toxins seeping into the earth. It breaks apart into microplastics, which stay in the environment for an unknown period of time.

“Despite the amount of litter that is unearthed during these regular events, we are proud of West Moors and those who live and visit here, that do treat it, therefore each other, with respect.”

The next litter pick is on Monday, 8 May and will coincide with the Big Help Out for the Coronation weekend. If you’d like to join in visit www.westmoors-tc.gov.uk.

Cigarette butts are classed as litter and you can be fined for dropping them on the ground or throwing them out of a car window.