MORE than 30 people rolled up their sleeves to take part in a big clean up of a popular walking and cycling trail at the weekend.

The community litter pick of the area close to the entrance of the Outwood Trail, in Radcliffe, took place on Saturday morning and was organised jointly by McDonald's in Radcliffe and Bury Council.

Simon Toft, the franchisee for the McDonald's branch, and his staff, were joined by members of the public and Radcliffe councillors Rishi Shori and Jamie Walker.

The volunteers set out at 9.30am and, in the space of two hours, collected more than 50 bags of litter, as well as a pair of mattresses and a tyre.

Mr Toft said: "We thought it would be a good idea to do a litter pick as a way of giving back to the community and showing we care.

"We do regular litter picks in and around our site so we are used to it.

"We are aware that a lot of people take purchases from the site and they are responsible for discarding of it properly. Unfortunately, not everyone does.

"Because we had so many volunteers we were able to tidy the skate park on Hutchinson Way, too."

Bury Council leader and councillor for Radcliffe West, Rishi Shori, added: "The event was a huge success and I was bowled over by the support from the local community. To collect that much litter in such a short space of time was incredible.

“The staff at McDonald's were superb and it shows what can be achieved when local councillors, businesses and the community work together. We hope to hold a similar event in the near future.

“Ultimately, however litter does not drop itself and we all need to take responsibility to keep our environment clean, bin our rubbish and love where we live."

A similar event is planned for the summer, and details will be revealed closer to the time.