Volunteers countywide have devoted many hours of their free-time to local litter picking events as part of the Keep Wales Tidy Spring Clean 2019.

Last Sunday 24 volunteers with Monmouth Litter Group, including Community Champions and Osbaston School, spread out over the whole of central Monmouth and its river banks.

The high river levels demanded much more caution than usual, but a huge amount of discarded plastic and polystyrene was retrieved rather than allowing it to float downstream.

Canoeists and kayakers from the Monmouth Canoe Club also covered the Wye from Monmouth down to Redbrook. Once the river levels recede the group will continue the clean up along the banks of the Wye from Biblins Bridge down to Redbrook.

"We would like to heartily thank all the brilliant volunteers and everyone who sponsored us in aid of Kidney Wales," said Anthea Dewhurst.

Penallt is also a tidier place after more than 30 villagers combed the local lanes for litter - with tea, coffee and homemade cake laid on at Pelham Hall for the volunteers afterwards.

Local resident, Pru Evill organised the first Penallt litter pick in April 2016 and the event was carried on in April 2018 as well as this year. Those taking part were amazed - and sad - to see how much litter was lurking in the ditches, verges and hedges.

The Trellech/Lydart/Mitchel Troy litter picking groups also met again last weekend to clear the hedgerows and verges of rubbish discarded by passing motorists.

"The education of the young at home and then through school is the only way ahead and explaining to all just how anti-social littering of the countryside is," said spokesperson Mike Moffatt.

"Additionally, those builders, gardeners and homeowners who fly-tip locally because they’re too idle to take it to the correct location to be processed, might think twice about it if they knew just how much of their part of the Council Tax goes towards clearing (THEIR) mess up!"