A litter picker from Great Barr, who is determined to help clean up the area, would love to see more people on the streets helping to keep them tidy.
Network rail worker Tim Brown, aged 49, has been picking up litter on the streets of Great Barr in his spare time for six years.
Covering the area around the Booths farm estate and Calshot Junior and Infant School, he goes out after work for two to three hours at a time every couple of weeks and collects up to six bags of rubbish.
“The council has cut back more and more and it’s highlighted the problem,” said Tim. “I hate litter. There’s no need for people to drop it.”
Tim heads out on his own to pick up litter, though there are numerous litter-picking groups in the area, including a team of volunteers from the Beeches estate.
“The biggest issue is plastic,” says Tim, “beer cans, plastic bottles and wrappers.”
“I also find a lot of disposable vapes, bottles and security tags. In some areas, such as bushes, you need to be careful as I have found needles.”
Despite the danger involved, Tim says he takes great pride in collecting litter when he sees the difference it makes to the area.
Tim has his litter-picking equipment, including bags and gloves, provided to him by the council, which also picks up the bags of litter he collects.
“Anyone who wants to get involved and help keep their area clean should get in touch with the council,” said Tim.
“I’d also encourage people to report fly-tipping, which is also an issue in Great Barr.
“There’s an app called ‘Fix My Street’, which allows you to tag a location where you’ve seen fly-tipping, which then alerts the local council.”
Anyone looking to get involved with litter picking should contact Sandwell Council for advice, or check out Birmingham Council’s Cleaner and Greener guide.