Thaxted Parish Council and a number of willing volunteers kicked off the pan-Essex anti-litter campaign with their own parish litter pick on Saturday.

Armed with gloves, litter pickers and bags of enthusiasm the volunteers blitzed the town to clear it of unsightly litter as part of the ‘Clean Essex’ initiative.

Parish clerk Julie Abel said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to all our volunteers. The town looks so much better now and we would ask our residents and visitors to make sure they bin their litter or take it home.”

Cllr Susan Barker, Uttlesford District Council’s cabinet member for environmental services, who joined the litter pick, added: “I am delighted that this litter pick was such a success. However, I would like to remind everyone that they should carry on binning their litter, even after this campaign has ended.

“We have a beautiful district and we should keep it that way.”

All 14 Essex local authorities are taking a unique approach to tackling litter, joining forces with three fast food giants to run the first Clean Essex campaign. It was officially launched last week.

Supported by Essex County Council, RP2 media, Highways Agency and Keep Britain Tidy, the large-scale campaign will see councils working alongside McDonald’s, Stansted Airport, KFC and Domino’s to raise awareness of litter.