Hundreds of litter pickers have rolled up their sleeves to give Canterbury a huge Spring clean.

Over the last month they have taken part in 10 efforts organised by residents' associations and community groups across the district, filling 250 bags with rubbish

It started in March with a huge litter pick in Kingsmead when 60 volunteers including students form the Kings School and Christ Church University collected 70 bags of litter from the area as well as Northgate, St Stephen's and St Radigund's.

A week later, members of St Stephen’s Residents’ Association and St Michael’s Road Area Residents’ Association converged on Beverley Meadow for a clean up.

Headcorn Drive Residents’ Association were helped by the University of Kent Student community champions with their effort and mums from Kingsbrook Park helped St Dunstan’s Residents’ Association with their clean up.

Oaten Hill and South Canterbury Association, and the Wincheap Society, both targeted their own areas and a number of residents’ groups came together to tackle the woods in the Hales Place area.

Perhaps the biggest challenge was faced by the Our Stour group which tackled a section of the river path near Parham Road - a picturesque location but regularly blighted by litter.

The community effort culminated not only in camaraderie and satisfaction among the volunteers but also more than 250 sacks of rubbish being filled as well as numerous other bulky discarded items, like suitcases, street signs, clothing, old toys, and even boxes of rotten eggs.

As well as litter picks in Canterbury there were similar events in the villages including Chartham, Harbledown, and Kingston, as well as individual residents cleaning up in their own locality.

The Great British Spring Clean, coordinated nationally by Keep Britain Tidy, has now officially ended.

But there’s still one more chance to join in as the Canterbury Society will be turning out on Sunday to spruce up Canterbury’s World Heritage Site, litter-picking in the areas between the Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church.

Litter picking equipment and refreshments will be provided and volunteers will be meeting at 2pm at the Longport car park.