Residents are being asked to help keep the borough spick and span as part of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean.

A number of events have been organised in the borough and local people are being urged to sign up.

Brentwood Borough Council is offering to loan the equipment needed for a safe and successful litter pick and will arrange to pick up the litter collected at the end of the day.

Events as part of the campaign include:

· Wednesday, March 1: The chance to join our Countryside Volunteers from 10am to 3pm at Courage's Park (working in the wooded copse), Courage Playing Fields, Chelmsford Road, Shenfield. If interested please meet in the car park at 10am, wearing suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy shoes or boots and bring a packed lunch (hot drinks are provided). For further information, please contact Tracey Lynch: tracey.lynch@brentwood.gov.uk

· Thursday, March 2, 11am-1pm: Recycling and Litter awareness road show at William Hunter Car park, by the central ticket machines, where orange recycling sacks and food waste bags will be available. You can also find out about brown garden waste bins and our Neighbourhood Action Team (NATS) will be doing a spring clean around the car park.

· Friday, March 3, 11am-1pm: Recycling and Litter awareness road show adjacent to Chapel High ruins, High Street, Brentwood. You can pick up orange recycling sacks and food waste bags as well as find out about brown garden waste bins. Also, a community litter pick will be led by the NATS team. To take part residents can turn up at the canopy at 11am and join in the litter pick around the vicinity of the High Street whilst the road show is going on.

If you would like to run your own Community Litter Pick around those dates you can contact Dawn Taylor dawn.taylor@brentwood.gov.uk, and the council can arrange to provide you with litter pickers, sacks, gloves and arrange to pick up any rubbish collected from an agreed collection point after the event. You can register your event in the Great British Spring Clean by visiting www.greatbritishspringclean.org.uk  

Brentwood Borough Council's Chair of the Environment and Housing Management Committee, Councillor Chris Hossack, said: "Following on from the successful Clean for the Queen that Keep Britain Tidy ran last year, we will again be supporting their 'Great British Spring Clean' campaign.

“It's the minority of people who drop litter, but it blights our landscape and spoils Brentwood, there is no excuse for it. Binning your litter is a quick thing to do and makes our local environment a better place for everyone."