SIXTEEN Tidy Tavi volunteers set out last Saturday to collect litter from the streets in and around Tavistock.

Areas visited included most of the A386 between Dolvin Road and the Woodtown junction, as well as streets at the western end and central parts of town.

Heavy concentrations of litter were encountered in many of the usual 'black spots', particularly West Devon Business Park, Old Exeter Road and an extensive area around Morrisons supermarket. Many items originating from the Morrisons site were found as far away as Hazel and Oak roads on the Bishopsmead estate.

The top ten rubbish items found during Tidy Tavi expeditions are: soft drinks (especially Red Bull) cans; cigarette butts; fast food (especially MacDonalds) packaging; plastic sweet wrappers; beer cans and bottles; cigarette packaging; polythene gloves from Morrisons' filling station; plastic tobacco pouches; wet wipes and receipt slips from ATM machines.

The materials used to make many of these items are not bio-degradable and will therefore lay around for years or tens of years if not collected. If you would like to lend a hand, Tidy Tavi volunteers meet at the Meadowlands Leisure Centre on the first Saturday of every month at 10am.