Taking place during the last two weeks of March, the Great British Spring Clean rallies people up and down the country to tidy up their neighbourhoods.

And to support local efforts to keep the Cotswolds looking its best, Cotswold District Council is again picking up bags of litter collected by residents and community groups taking part in the national campaign.

To be collected, bags need to be presented at a pre-agreed collection point, which can be accessed by the street cleansing teams.

Councillor Mike Evemy, portfolio holder for waste and recycling at Cotswold District Council, said: "We're delighted to be supporting this incredible event again this year - the year that Keep Britain Tidy, the charity behind the Great British Spring Clean, turns 70.

"To celebrate this landmark anniversary, litter champions from across the country are being invited to make their own personal platinum pledge, whether it's committing to pick up 70 pieces of litter, spend 70 minutes litter-picking or, for those wanting to go the extra mile, fill 70 sacks with litter.

"Ultimately though, the Spring Clean is all about local communities coming together to take positive action to help rid the countryside, and our towns and villages, of the 2 million pieces of litter dropped every day in the UK.

"There are many dedicated people already making a tremendous difference here in the Cotswolds by picking up litter and we hope by supporting the Spring Clean in this way, it will spur even more people to get involved to protect our local landscape, care for wildlife and reduce pollution in our environment."

Individuals or groups can borrow litter grabbers and hi-vis vests from over 25 litter hubs in the district. Set up with support from the district council, the hubs are managed by the town and parish councils on behalf of their local communities.

In March 2023, UK residents pledged to pick up 400,000 bags of litter for the Great British Spring Clean.

Keep Britain Tidy estimates that over £1 billion a year is spent on clearing the nation's litter problem, equating to £35 for every household in the country.

While cigarette butts top the tables when it comes to the item most littered, a staggering 75% of litter by volume stems from drinks containers with small plastic bottles and non-alcoholic cans making up 43% of all litter; items which could have been recycled if disposed of correctly.

This year's Great British Spring Clean is taking place from 15 to 31 March. Anyone wishing to take part can find out more and pledge their support by visiting the Keep Britain Tidy campaign website.