From beach combing to litter picking, one Sandbach woman has waged her war on rubbish for as long as she can remember. 

But she's not the only one for behind Sandbach Clean Team are an 'army' of litter pickers each doing their bit for the town. 

And it's not just the litter pickers who are helping – the voluntary group has also signed up around 30 businesses in the town to do their bit around their premises. 

Sandbach Clean Team doing their bit for the town. (Photo: Sandbach Clean Team)

Mark Cook , co-ordinator of the Clean Team, is the brainchild behind the business initiative - thought to be one of the first such ones in the country. 

"We've given out around 30 sets of litter picker sets and we've signed up a variety of businesses from Waitrose to smaller retailers and care homes," said Mark. 

"It's going well and we're delighted with the uptake of the scheme. We're grateful for the businesses taking part." 

Every month, members of the Clean Team, formed in 2005, meet up to do the town centre litter pick when they collect around 10 to 20 bin liners of rubbish. 

The Middlewich Road Co-op is one of the businesses signed up. (Photo: Sandbach Clean Team)

Collecting litter is second nature for the Clean Team's chair, Michelle Mossford, who has waged a war on litter all her life and has vowed to continue. 

When her children were younger, she would litter pick on the beach if they went out for the day and even now litter picking is still very much on her mind. 

As Michelle says, 'litter breeds litter'. "The less you have around the less likely people are to drop litter," she said. 

And when her children ask what she would like for Mother's Day, her reply is always that she doesn't want a present – just their presence on a local litter pick. 

"I don't know what it is about litter – I just hate it! There's no need to drop it – there are plenty of bins," she said. 

"But we can't just blame people – there are others who drop litter too." And as she explained, it's not exactly what we would expect. 

"Birds go into bins and go through the litter chucking it out. That's why many litter bins have tops on them," she said. "You see them around takeaways looking for bits of food."  

And while empty plastic bottles and carrier bags were often what Michelle would pick up on the beach, it's now more likely to be cigarette butts, Red Bull cans, bottles and empty Vaping boxes. 

But as Mark explained, there can be some interesting things picked up on litter picks away from the town centre. 

The team found a discarded bottle of Taittinger on one of their picks. (Photo: Sandbach Clean Team)

On one occasion Mark found a discarded empty bottle of Taittinger champagne thrown into a hedge near Bradwall while a porcelain toilet was something else that was discarded. 

"It's never anything of value," said Mark. "It's always things that people don't want." 

And although litter is still an issue both Mark and Michelle agree there is one thing on their side – children are better educated about rubbish and recycling. 

"It's a subject that's talked about and discussed. Children are much better informed than we were," said Michelle. 

New members of Sandbach Clean Team, whose Facebook page is here  are always welcome. 

Anyone who wants to find out more information can email them at [email protected] 

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