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Volunteers clear valley rubbish

LOXLEY ROAD is looking spic and span for the spring after a clean-up by a team from the local community

Armed with gloves, litter-grabbers and stout shoes, the volunteers cleared a huge amount of rubbish from the roadside and the adjacent brambles and footpaths.

They also tackled the litter thrown into the undergrowth along Black Lane, and the main footpath in the valley bottom.

By the end of the evening, around 30 bagloads were on their way to the dump.

Keith Butterfield captures a stray Fanta can

The annual clean-up is organised jointly by Action for Stannington and the Loxley Valley Protection Society.

Action for Stannington chairman Danny Piermattei provided the volunteers with protective gloves and clothing, plus purpose-designed litter-grabbers, (is that the correct term?), that made light work of plucking the rubbish from the brambles.

"We didn't have as many volunteers as we have in the past, but we still made a big impact and Loxley Road looks a lot better now," said Danny.

"You can also see the long-term impact we're having. Last year we cleared about 50 old tyres from the valley. This year there was just one."

Top of the Loxley litter chart?

• Beer cans and pop bottles are comfortably in the lead...
• ...with crisp bags and chip wrappers a strong second...
• ...somebody's dog has the amazing habit of having a dump in green plastic bags and then throwing them into the shrubbery...
• ...and is there a single car in the Loxley Valley that has not yet lost its wheel trim?

Christina Distefano and Laura Goodison