SATURDAY, April 25 has been officially declared the next Keep Okehampton Tidy day.

A number of organisations and children, staff and parents from the primary school will turn out across the town to pick up litter and tidy the town.

The original idea of uniting the town's organisations and voluntary groups to do a big litter clear up was formed in 2013 after pupils of Kes Tor Class wrote individual letters to former town mayor Cllr Rev the Mike Davies about the overuse of plastic shopping bags and the state of littering in the town.

After visiting the school and talking the idea through with pupils and staff, the litter picking event was created.

Cllr Davies said: 'We are aiming to have as many people as possible out on the streets of Okehampton — the aim being simply to collect litter.

'We are particularly looking for residents to claim responsibility for their own streets, or for community groups to take responsibility for an estate, or a particular area in or around Okehampton.

'We are publicising the event very early in order to give people enough time to plan events and notify groups that they may be involved.'

There is a Facebook page called 'Keep Okehampton Tidy' up and running which has nearly 190 members. For further details call Mike Davies on 01837 658507.