A team of military veterans are volunteering their time to help keep Halton looking green and litter free.

Over the next year, volunteers from Halton Veterans Legion CIC will be out and about each week clearing weeds, cutting back vegetation, sweeping footpaths and litter picking. Their work will be in addition to the maintenance and improvement works carried out by the council and will help to keep neighbourhoods looking tidy in-between scheduled work.

Halton Veterans Legion CIC is open to serving and former armed forces personnel, families, reservists and the wider community and carries the motto 'leave no one behind'.

Halton Council hopes that the project with the veterans will be the first of many other community-led activities across the borough, where local people will have the opportunity to get directly involved in keeping their local community clean, safe and attractive.

Councillor Stef Nelson, the Council’s Executive Board Member for Environment and Urban Renewal said: “We are really delighted to be working with veterans over the next year on this scheme.

“This type of community-led initiative not only helps to create a better environment for local people, but we hope it helps to build a greater sense of local pride.

“The veteran volunteers are a real inspiration, and we hope that others will follow their lead - either by volunteering themselves when there are opportunities to do so, or simply by helping to keep their neighbourhood clear of litter by always using public bins or taking rubbish home."

The council will be working with the veterans to provide the necessary training and equipment to carry out the work. Anyone who wants to organise a community litter pick can call 0151 511 7624.