TIDY Tavi volunteers began September by hitting the streets again to tackle Tavistock's latest litter problems.

This time, one team addressed the issue of cigarette butts and general detritus under the benches at Tavistock Bus Station. Several new volunteers joined in and, all in all, 21 volunteers, including the group's four legged friend Womble, collected 25 bags of litter.

The team believes the general level of litter in Tavistock is improving, but one issue which is constantly being discovered is that of dog waste, having been collected in plastic bags by the owner then being thrown into the undergrowth. Ten bags of dog waste were thrown into the bushes.

One of the worst sites for dog mess was found at the little park at the end of Parkwood Road where ten bags of dog waste, collected mainly in carrier bags, had been slung into the same area of bushes in the corner of the park.

Team members said that picking up litter could be somewhat frustrating, as areas recently cleaned were often found to be strewn with litter again shortly afterward. An example of this was a parking area in the West Devon Business Park, which was found to be festooned with empty fast food and drinks containers only hours after the area had been meticulously cleaned by a member of the Tidy Tavi team.

Anyone who would like to make a difference and help keep the town tidy, can do so by joining the team at 9.10am on Saturday, October 6 at The Wharf. The tidying only takes a couple of hours, after which the group relaxes with a cup of tea.

The Tidy Tavi team is also hosting a 'Mega-Quiz' evening on Friday, October 19 to celebrate its first anniversary. The event will be held at the Tavy Club, where tickets are available from now at £3, including a buffet.