A call for volunteers has been made to join a district-wide litter picking day.

For Community Clear Up Day on Saturday March 21 Braintree District Council (BDC) is calling on residents, clubs, community groups, schools and even businesses to pitch in and organiser their own litter picks.

The day is part of a national initiative led by the government in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy.

BDC’s own workers will be doing a litter pick of the length of the A120 through the district on Friday and Saturday March 20-21.

Wendy Schmitt, councillor for place at BDC, said: “This day is about encouraging people to take pride in their areas, and it’s so inspiring and effective when community groups come together to clean up and care for their immediate environment.

“In recent years we’ve championed a number of anti-litter campaigns including the award-winning county-wide Love Essex campaign against fast food litter, and the success of these campaigns has owed a lot to the support and vigilance of residents and businesses in our district, and the dedication of our Green Heart Champions.

“If every person picked up one piece of litter, the difference made would be astounding. We have some lovely areas in the district and we want to make sure they stay that way.”

A toolkit with information, leaflets and posters is available to download online.