VOLUNTEER groups of litter pickers are springing up around the county to help keep Herefordshire tidy.

Herefordshire Council launched the Stop the Drop litter pledge campaign in February and has been encouraged by the response from the community.

More and more Herefordshire residents are joining litter picks and setting up new litter picking groups and there are now more than 40 groups across the county who regularly litter pick, with new groups starting up on an almost weekly basis.

Tina Powers, committee member for Holme Lacy Village Social Group, said: "Following on from setting up a social group with a few other ladies in our local village of Holme Lacy, one of my suggestions to encourage the community to get together was to do a local litter pick to support Keep Britain Tidy.

"We had a fantastic first response and we hope to do another in the autumn. Thank you to Herefordshire Council for their help in this initiative."

Eight weeks ago, Jill Scamell set up the Ross Community Clean Up Group, which now has more than 100 members and has already carried out more than six litter picks.

Jill said: "Over the years I’ve joined litter picks and done them regularly on my own while out walking.

"This year when I was thinking of my New Year’s resolution, I wondered how I could incorporate Haygrove’s Do One Thing initiative into my desire to play a part in keeping Ross beautiful.

“I made the commitment to myself that I was going to attend the monthly community litter picks. Three months in and I realised that I wanted to achieve more this year, so I started to follow the Hereford groups’ activities and I wanted to achieve the same in Ross.

"In only eight weeks, we have gained more than 100 members to our group and we’ve been going out once a week and are gaining momentum."

In Peterchurch, Graham Cox and Samantha Mellows are just starting a new group and hope to organise their first community litter pick on Saturday, May 26.

Graham said: “We have been aware for some time that the issue of litter has been a growing problem in the UK. From our local village lanes to busy dual carriageways, the build-up of plastic waste is a major concern and eyesore. Its link to the problems of plastic in the oceans has been established and it seems sensible and appropriate to help our community to do its bit by starting our own litter clearing group."

For more information about Herefordshire’s Stop the Drop campaign, visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/stopthedrop or call 01432 260514.