PEOPLE in Evesham and all over Wychavon are being asked to help keep their streets tidy as part of the Great British Spring Clean.

The nationwide initiative, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, is inviting clubs, groups and organisations to take pride in their home towns, villages and cities by keeping them looking their sparkling best.

The event is taking place up and down the country from Friday to Sunday, March 3-5 and Wychavon District Council wants to hear from anyone keen to get involved and who would like to borrow some of its litter-picking kits.

A team from the council recently targeted a riverside path in Evesham and collected more than 30 bags of litter.

Cllr Gerry O’Donnell, portfolio holder for community development, culture and sport at Wychavon District Council, said: "The issue of littering is a national problem, and one that we locally can do something about.

"We recently targeted a one mile stretch of the River Avon path from Tesco to Hampton Ferry.

"In total we collected a staggering 33 bags of litter.

"As well as the litter gathered, we also alerted the council to a trolley, a traffic cone and two sofa cushions along the route, and arrangements were made for these items to be collected.”

He is urging people in Evesham to join the fight against litter.

"If we want to attract and retain tourists to our towns and countryside, we must fight this culture of littering, particularly from vehicles," he said.

"I would appeal to our communities to play their part in encouraging the responsible disposal of litter, and help clean up this blight on our towns and countryside.”

The litter-picking kits consist of a litter grabber, gloves, a high visibility jacket and a number of blue bags in which to put the rubbish.

Councillor Emma Stokes, portfolio holder for the environment and street scene at Wychavon, said: “It’s common sense advice, but the best places to litter pick are of course where you spot a build-up of litter.

"It may be somewhere you pass on the way to school or to work, it may be a new estate where the roads are unadopted, or it could be on the outskirts of town or a stretch of hedgerow on the edge of the village where you live.”

To request a kit or for more information, call 01386 565018 and ask for Karen, or email clientservices@wychavon.gov.uk.