In photos: People in Mirfield, Batley, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Roberttown, Gomersal, Oakenshaw, East Bierley, Birkenshaw and Birstall do their ‘bit for the environment’ in the Great British Spring Clean

The MP for Batley and Spen, who chairs the all-party group Tidy Britain at Westminster, launched the two-week campaign with a mass litter-pick in Mirfield on Thursday, March 14 before hundreds of bags of rubbish were collected until the end of the month.

Local residents, voluntary organisations, schools, youth groups and businesses joined forces to clear streets, river banks and open spaces. Among the larger items recovered on the clean-up were a toilet cistern and an e-scooter.

Since the launch of the the Great British Spring Clean, the UK’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign, outside Mirfield Library, there have been clean-ups on the Spen Valley Greenway and in Batley, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Roberttown, Gomersal, Oakenshaw, East Bierley, Birkenshaw and Birstall.

Kim said: “It was heart-warming to see so many people of all ages coming out to help clean up the streets of our many towns and villages. It just shows what we can do if we all come together and do our bit for the environment.

“If we want people to use our green spaces more and maybe walk rather than use the car to go to the shops or get to school or work, they shouldn't have to step over litter that’s been carelessly thrown away.

“So I want to say a massive thank you to everybody who took part.”

Keep Britain Tidy, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary, says this year’s campaign was the best so far, beating last year’s record when over 400,000 sacks of litter were collected across the country.

Take a look at these photos from the Great British Spring Clean events in North Kirklees.