SIR, Thank you to everyone who sponsored the local litter picks on Sunday 27th April. You raised £155 for Kidney Wales and you will be glad to hear that we earned every penny of it. The weather forecast was bad and the reality was worse. None of us remember ever getting so wet, so fast. However, we cleared almost all of Monmouth's beautiful Monnow riverbanks, Drybridge pond area, the allotments, the old slaughter houses path and from Tibbs Bridge to Priory Street. Much more significantly than the weather, we are extremely pleased to report that there was less litter to retrieve than ever before. Seven purple bags for recycling and 14 orange for landfill, a less depressing local eyesore and less plastic floating out to sea. It would be wonderful if the message to people not to abandon their rubbish for others to clear up, was starting to get through. We also appreciate the increasing number of individuals who litter pick their favourite area all year round, as well as the professional and tireless work of Monmouth's street cleaner. Volunteers at Kidney Wales (Monmouth)