THE chairman of a 60 strong litter picking legion has told would-be waste warriors to get out there and start collecting rubbish.

Pete Fry and the rest of the Pontypool Park Friends have been waging war on litter since 2011, when the amount of rubbish in the park finally tipped them over the edge.

With regular help from Torfaen Council, Keep Wales Tidy and Torfaen Volunteer Alliance, the group has gone from strength to strength, but Mr Fry admitted the work is never done.

“The last litter pick we did with Keep Wales Tidy we collected 70 bags of rubbish,” said Mr Fry.

“We find all sorts. Drug paraphernalia, dirty nappies, bottles, McDonald's and other fast food rubbish, you name it and people are dropping it in Pontypool park.

“What’s really frustrating is that there are plenty of bins there.

(The Pontypool Park Friends group holds litter picking events at least once a month)

“The litter gets dragged into the river too. We did a river clean two years ago and removed one-and-a-half tons of rubbish. There were push bikes, trolleys and mopeds in there – all kinds of stuff really. It’s just unbelievable what people will dump.”

Pontypool Park Friends believe education can play a part in helping to raise awareness of the problems caused by dropping litter.

The group carried out a project with the children of St Albans Roman Catholic High School, whose grounds are in side the park gates.

“The school kids used to throw rubbish over the fences and outside the gates,” explained Mr Fry.

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“We did a project with them a couple of years ago and to be fair they’ve started picking it all up now, so it did work.

“I think that education can play a big part in terms of raising awareness in young people but parents have got to set an example too.

“It’s not just young people who are dropping litter by any means. It’s all age groups.

“But the problem isn’t just in the park, it’s right across Torfaen and in other counties too.

“If it wasn’t for volunteer groups the situation would be much worse.

“One of the reasons people are getting away with it is because there don’t seem to be any consequences. =There are lots of rules but no enforcement. A lack of resources is one thing, but if you think like that then the community quickly becomes a rubbish tip.”

(The Pontypool park carpark is a big problem area for the group, and is often covered in fast food rubbish)

Pontypool Park Friends arrange litter picks at least once a month, with a small core of member s carrying out smaller picks in between.

The group is supported by Torfaen Council, who collect any rubbish bagged by the litter pickers, and have filled the park with bins to try and encourage visitors to throw away their litter responsibly.

“They give us the tools to carry on doing what we are doing.

“Councillors and community councillors come out to help us, and they often help us to find funds too.

“Keep Wales Tidy are a big help too. Whenever we’ve got a big job planned they’re always really happy to lend a hand.”

READ MORE: Pontypool's Ron Ford has picked thousands of bags of litter

“My advice to anyone wanting to set up their own group would be to just get started. That’s all it takes.

“If you want to make a difference then get out and start litter picking. It’s that simple.

“Torfaen Volunteer Alliance were really helpful when we started. We needed to have a constitution and so on to get the council involved, but it was easy enough to do with their help.

“You will always find organisations to help out. We had funds from Sainsburys a few years ago to buy bags and litter pickers. The help is there if you need it.

Pontypool Park Friends’ next litter pick is August 4, with volunteers meeting outside the leisure centre in the park at 10am.

GET IN TOUCH

Throughout our War on Litter campaign, we want to feature every litter picking hero and volunteer group that we can. As well as your stories, we want your pictures and videos too. If you would like to be featured, or if you want to send us some pictures of problem areas that deserve attention, get in touch by emailing sam.ferguson@gwent-wales.co.uk or joining our dedicated Facebook group – South Wales Argus: War on Litter.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

EVERY war needs its heroes.

This summer, the South Wales Argus will be bringing you stories from litter heroes from across Newport, Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly County Borough and Torfaen.

But YOU can make a difference too.

By making small changes, every single one of us can help tackle the plague of litter sweeping across Wales.

If you want to get involved in litter picking, or set up your own group, Keep Wales Tidy have this simple advice:

“Small actions can make a big difference. So, when you’re out and about, remember to dispose of your litter responsibly – either put it in the bins provided or take it home with you.

“A growing number of people go one step further and carry out a #2minutestreetclean, #2minutebeachclean or just make a point of picking up five items of litter like crisp packets, plastic drinks bottles or cans.