CAMELFORD Town Council is to launch monthly litter picks around the town in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Great British Spring Clean’ this April.

Cllr Lauren Rathbone, also a member of the Plastic Free Camelford group, presented her case to the council on Tuesday, March 19. She said: “There have been litter picks going on in the last year or so through Plastic Free Camelford, which I recently became a member of.

“Keep Britain Tidy are hosting their ‘big spring clean’, and I want to launch the litter picks monthly, so I thought we could start the litter picks in April. Our former mayor, Kirsty Ferguson, has offered some money in the mayor’s allowance to offer sweets to incite the kids — and they will be in paper bags.”

As positive as this new initiative sounds, Cllr Stephen Bond was concerned with how litter picks have been relayed to the public via social media in the past. He said: “I know that when the clean up at Mount Camel was publicised on Facebook, a few residents were irked by some of the other residents’ wording of comments.”

Cllr Rathbone said: “Volunteers turn up and they set off to different streets. I just feel that putting our name out there would be really good.”

Cllr Andy Shaw agreed, but said: “We don’t advertise ourselves very well, but then we shouldn’t have to — we should just get on with our jobs.”

However, plenty of people appeared to know about the most recent pick, with over 15 people turning out to the Plastic Free Camelford litter pick on Sunday, March 17. Cllr Rathbone said: “In the future, it would be nice to get some more litter picks, and perhaps set up something here so people can sign their name and go out and do their own litter picks.

“I don’t know if that’s something we could have downstairs (in Camelford Library) because people like to do it in their own time as well.”

Cllr Rathbone then proposed to launch the first Camelford Town Council monthly litter pick on April 17.

Cllr Shaw said: “Will there be an education programme for this too? You want to teach kids who sling the stuff out the window to not do this. It is against the law!”

In response, Cllr Rathbone said that she, personally, has not come across anyone who has dropped litter, and the Plastic Free Camelford group discourage approaching people who do litter in case they receive ‘backlash’. However, she added: “I would like to look into this possibly, but want to get this off the ground and look towards that.”

Cllr Rathbone proposed that the council hold monthly litter picks, with herself leading the new initiative. Cllr Shaw seconded.

The first Camelford Town Council community litter pick will be held on Wednesday, April 17, starting at 10.30am. Everyone interested in attending is asked to meet at the bandstand.

Litter picks will then take place on the second Sunday of every month.

Follow Camelford Town Council on Facebook to keep up to date with litter pick news.