By Jemma Bufton

LITTER-PICKING activists are encouraging workers to help clean up the city during their lunch break this month.

Duckworth Worcestershire Trust and Worcester BID are supplying litter picking equipment to encourage workers to take part in “a rubbish lunch” and spend an hour picking up litter during their lunch break.

Volunteer and community co-ordinator, Anda Phillips said: “We have 94 active volunteers within Worcestershire and are part of a huge movement of litter pickers across the UK.

“We organise events such as the rubbish walks and the rubbish lunches to raise awareness of the litter issues in our city and to encourage positive and practical action.”

This incentive comes ahead of National Blitz the Butt day on Saturday August 24, an event that sees people across the country aim to pick up 1million cigarette butts.

Anda said: “Cigarette ends are the most common pieces of litter, we often find them next to the bins and they work their way into the river. Within 48 hours they reach the sea and they are extremely toxic to aquatic life."

During a 'rubbish lunch' on Wednesday this week, volunteers collected more than 130 cigarette butts.

“Our volunteers picked up 132 butts in Worcester within 10 minutes, you don’t realise just how many there are until you look for them,” Anda said.

Rubbish walks are being held every Wednesday from 12-1pm at South Quay throughout August.