Ottery Community Volunteers clean litter from the streets

After meeting at the Ottery Larder they ventured out, armed with litter pickers, bin bags and scrubbing brushes, and managed to fill a dozen black bags with rubbish.

Broken bottles, cigarette ends, all sorts of plastic waste and even a broken bicycle were among the items that were taken back to the Larder to be sorted into recycling and refuse.

Ottery Larder supervisor Justin Meagor said: "It is really disappointing to see how much gets dumped on our streets. We are determined to make sure that we recycle whatever we can."

Volunteer Rhea Cousins said: "We braved horrible wind and rain, but the right clothing and the right attitude made it a fun morning for all of us.

"We will be planning another litter pick in the summer, and maybe this will be the first one we do when it doesn't rain.

"Eager Beavers run litter picks in Tipton St John, and the Station Youth Club will be running a community pick in a few weeks' time. It's an easy way to give an hour of your time and see an immediate benefit for the whole community."

Details of the Eager Beavers' and Station Youth Club's litter picks can be found on their Facebook pages.

To find out about helping the community in other ways, contact Ottery Community Volunteers by dropping in to the Ottery Larder and chatting with the team, or sending an email to help@ottery.online