LITTER pickers in Calne are celebrating their first birthday, in a year which has seen lots of rubbish cleaned, and even a third place prize at the summer carnival.

The River Warriors, who work out of Coleman’s Farm Community Centre, are 20-strong, with children from ages 3-17 and also parents.

The group, who meet monthly, won third prize at the Calne Summer Carnival with their whale made of litter they had picked up. They are planning to donate the £50 prize cheque to a group in Ghana that cleans up beaches.

Christopher Elliott, 17, has been part of the River Warriors since the beginning, and explained how the group helps him cope with his autism.

He said: “The group helps me get outside, without it I would be stuck indoors all day with nothing to do.

“It has also helped me to make friends, because there is such a big group of us.

“The group is all about making sure people are aware of how much impact litter can have on the environment, and we’re trying to prevent that.”

At their latest litter pick, on Thursday, the River Warriors cleaned up a whole car wheel from the river, as well as finding a used firework rocket.

They regularly fill several bin bags, when they meet, after just 30 minutes of litter picking.

Tamzyn Long, a graphic designer who organises the group alongside Shirley Harper Oneill, explained the background of the group and why she founded it.

She said: “I was doing a lot of litter picking before the group, around my hometown of Calne.

“We then got help from the Calne Town Council, and that the River Warriors were born.

“It’s so important that children of all ages are aware of the importance of picking up litter, if you can teach them young they will remember it for the rest of their lives.

“It’s just such a popular project for the children, and parents, they get so excited about it.”