A FLEDGLING group is already cleaning up in Northwich and hoping to grow into a tidy number.

Northwich Clean Team has around 15 volunteers who keep their area of town tidy, organise group litter picks of grot spots and clean up after events like Northwich Carnival and Party in the Park.

David Dent, team leader, said: “At the moment it’s a small acorn but something can grow.

“Middlewich Clean Team has more than 200 members but it took them 10 years to do that.”

The clean team was inspired by the success of the Middlewich group and launched by Northwich Town Council.

The aim is for the voluntary group to become more self sustaining as it grows, which will enable it to apply for funding and provide extras like planters and spring bulbs to brighten up Northwich.

David said: “People do thank us for tidying up and it makes your day when you hear that.

“It’s too much for the council to keep on top of and if everyone could do a little bit we would be in a much cleaner environment.

“The more people we have in the clean team the less time we will all have to spend on it.

“I’m enjoying it – it’s very rewarding to look around an area you drive or walk past and you clean it up and can say ‘I did that’.”

The team has already found a number of unusual and unpleasant items during its litter picks, including underwear at Northwich train station, bottles of urine on Town Bridge and needles for syringes, which have to be disposed of safely by the authorities.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help the team should email northwichcleanteam@aol.co.uk or ring the town council on 01606 41510.

Litter picking equipment is supplied to volunteers.