The future of the Folkestone Town Sprucer scheme is on the brink.

Funding for the popular Pete Phillips, who goes around town litter picking, clearing scrub and cleaning signs, looks set to be pulled by the town council next week.

Folkestone Town Council (FTC) is meeting on Thursday (July 30) and councillors are due to discuss the sprucer scheme which is currently short of funds.

The town council already slashed its £10,000 grant for the scheme at the start of April and a last-ditch attempt has been launched to secure money.

Sprucer scheme volunteers have been trying to drum up support from businesses and members of the public to help keep it going.

But organiser David Taylor says the scheme is in real danger of closing.

Mr Taylor said: "Since the Folkestone Town Sprucer launched in April 2013, the scheme has relied on a £10,000 annual allocation from FTC.

"That stopped in the current financial year. As a result, funds have rapidly dwindled and the scheme is in danger of closure."

The scheme costs £25,000 a year to run and funding previously came from FTC, £5,000 from the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and the remainder from ward grants from Kent County Council and Shepway District Council members, together with donations from businesses and residents.

Meanwhile, Wilmoths Citroen have donated a new van every year.

An agreement had been reached with the late Cllr Paul Marsh who just days before his death agreed to propose FTC allocate £10,000 for the current year.

Nearly £8,000 is needed for the scheme to continue until October.

But Mr Taylor said he fears Shepway leader and newly elected FTC finance committee chairman Cllr David Monk would like to see it shut down over the "embarrassment to SDC and its waste contractor Veolia" it causes.

A deal was struck with Cllr Monk to sign over £1,100 from his FTC ward grant allocation, which would keep the scheme going until the end of this month.

"I’ve realised that we must continue this free and much-appreciated service until SDC and its contractor Veolia get their act together." David Taylor, sprucer organiser

Mr Taylor added: "I’ve realised that we must continue this free and much-appreciated service until SDC and its contractor Veolia get their act together.

"If anything, the problem of litter, fly-tipping and inept management of domestic waste by householders is worsening. The Sprucer wasn’t set up to litter-pick.

"The brief was to tackle graffiti, clean road signs, cut back hedges, clear neglected public spaces, clean and repaint litter bins and junction boxes and 101 tasks to help restore civic pride.

"Litter-picking now constitutes 90% of our time."

The scheme worked with many long-term unemployed people helping them build their confidence and useful skills to take them back into employment.

But the dwindling funds has resulted in it being unable to keep covering their costs.