LOCAL councils are backing a campaign to get 500,000 people out and about cleaning up their local communities next weekend.

The brand new Great British Spring Clean will roll out for the first time in 2017, although last year thousands joined the Clean for the Queen campaign. The new annual event aims to bring people together and clean up the country.

TV wildlife presenter and children’s favourite Steve Backshall is lending his support to the national campaign, which is backed by the key anti-litter charities including Keep Britain Tidy, Keep Wales Tidy, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage.

Waverley Borough Council will be encouraging and supporting groups and individuals who want to “do their bit” to help clear up the litter that blights the borough’s streets and parks.

Haslemere borough councillor Jim Edwards, Waverley’s memeber for environment, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Great British Spring Clean and we encourage as many groups, individuals and organisations as possible to take part.

“Waverley will be lending out equipment, including litter pickers, gloves and tabards, to those who need some equipment to hold their own event on March 3, 4 and 5 or any other time in the month.

“We’d love to hear how many of you are taking part, so please send us your pictures and we will share them on our social media channels.”

Litter remains a huge problem across the country, causing harm to the environment and wildlife, with councils in England having to spend over £700 million on street cleaning services every year.

To take part in the campaign and set up you own clean up event visit www.greatbritishspringclean.org.uk

To borrow equipment from Waverley email carolyn. [email protected]

• East Hampshire residents can join the campaign and will be able to use litter picking equipment supplied by EHDC’s street cleansing contractor, called Idverde, to clear litter from an area of their choice.

In Grayshott, a group of residents will be out and about from 9.15am on Saturday, March 4.

The litter pick session will start from the Millennium Green next to the Peter Leete Headley Road car park.