COMMUNITY groups wanting to tidy up their neighbourhoods can now ask for help from West Wiltshire District Council and the environmental group Encams.

The two organisations have teamed up for an anti-litter campaign, which provides local action groups with advice, tools and help on rubbish collection.

Paul Gardner, the council's technical officer, said: "We can lend people litter pickers, tools and gloves if required, and we are also happy to advise on things like pond and ditch clearance. We will also collect bagged waste from pre-arranged places."

Encams, formerly known as the Tidy Britain Group, has produced an information pack for the campaign. It can be obtained from the council and contains rubbish sacks, badges, sashes, guideline booklets and posters.

Cllr Horace Prickett, the portfolio holder for service delivery, said: "Litter is such an unnecessary problem and while we do our best to keep the district clean and tidy, there is a limit to what we can do.

"By involving the community in campaigns like this we can educate people about the scale of the problem and hopefully encourage them to think twice before dropping litter."

For more information contact technical officer, Paul Gardner, on (01225) 770319.