TWENTY-EIGHT bags of rubbish were collected by volunteers at the launch of a new anti-litter campaign in Chippenham over the weekend.

The Love Chippenham campaign is looking to encourage people to get outdoors more and in the process take the time to pick-up litter.

Fifteen volunteers were in Monkton Park on Saturday to help collect rubbish from the area, which included anything and everything from bottles and empty takeaway boxes to a hula hoop and dumbbell weight.

Elaine Massung, who along with Beverly Walker from litter picking group Off the Ground, have launched the Love Chippenham campaign, said: “Considering the weather the turnout was good.

“We had someone turn up after hearing Beverly on the radio and that was really encouraging and we’re getting the word out.

“With the campaign it’s just a starting point to get them talking and building on momentum for future activities because we have a lot of ideas.”

Greater awareness and new methods of tackling litter will be trialled during the campaign, including using people’s bins to help tackle the problem and a ‘super’ bin which will act as a normal rubbish bin but also hold litter picking equipment for volunteers.

There is also an outdoor bingo game to encourage people to explore Chippenham while keeping an eye out for rubbish, with prizes up for grabs.

Councillor David Powell, who was litter picking along with his wife, Gill, in Monkton Park on Saturday, said: “We’ve been getting a good response from people and one or two people picked up leaflets and said they would join us next time.”

For more information about the campaign, visit http://www.lovechippenham.org/