A POPULAR mass litter pick is to return to the streets (and beaches) of Bridport for a third time.

‘From Street to Sea’ takes place on Sunday, May 15 and will see a big gathering of people spread across Bridport collecting litter that has been discarded.

Spearheading the event will be Bridport Litter Free Street Champions and the West Bay Beach Clean Group with litter collections taking place on the streets, rivers and beaches of the market town.

Town Mayor Ian Bark said: “It is great to see so many people doing something positive about something negative. There is quite a carnival atmosphere and those involved can be quite competitive about the amount they are able to pick in an hour. Young and old, families and singles and even dogs have fun removing rubbish.”

Mr Bark, who helps in the organising of the event, says that the green spaces, rivers and beaches are being spoiled by those who ‘choose to discard rather than dispose of their litter in a responsible, environmentally friendly way."

The Bridport Litter Free Street Champions are all volunteers who have adopted either the street where they live or a local green space and make regular ad hoc litter picks throughout the year They currently have around 90 litter picking ‘champions’. The West Bay Beach Clean Group,m meanwhile, meet on the third Sunday of the month throughout the year.

‘Street to Sea’ held their first event in May last year with a second litter pick taking place in October with around 100 people coming out and supporting the pick on each occasion. The organisers plan to continue hosting the event twice a year in a bid to ‘blitz Bridport’s litter’.

A spokesperson for the event encouraged as many people to participate in the project and says:

“All you have to do to get involved on the day is go along to either the Co-op or Morrisons car parks (look out for the gazebos) or the Watch House Café in West Bay between 10am - 11am. On arrival you will be given some equipment and allocated an area to pick.”