A COMMUNITY group has called on residents to take part in its efforts to ‘keep their town tidy’.

Horwich First Community Group will be holding its first litter pick of the year on Saturday, January 27 in Old Station Park.

And members hope it will be the first of many regular events in a bid to eradicate rubbish from the streets and parks in the town.

A spokesman for Horwich First said: “We were discussing it and looking at where we could actually do it. We have done it in the streets around the town centre.

“When you walk through Old Station Park there is a lot of litter there and it is within the hedges as well.

“It looks very unsightly. So we are just trying to do that and engage with the community and get people to participate.

“Some people will say that it is the job of the council but they cannot be everywhere all the time.

“We do not want to see litter when we are going around the town.”

The town council currently pays for someone to go around and pick up litter in the town.

The spokesman praised the council for this initiative and said the litter pick would help to extend that work.

He said: “The town council pays for someone who does it every week. But that is just one person. It is a big town.

“If there is litter already there then people are more likely to litter themselves.

“We have already got quite a bit of interest.”

The event, on January 27, will be held from 10am until noon.

For more information, find the event on the Horwich First Facebook page.