Liphook residents joined forces with members of the local volunteer group Liphook in Bloom for their annual litter pick, spurred on by the spring sunshine.

Meeting at 9.30am on Midhurst Road, the event drew more than 50 participants of all ages, with organisers deploying teams across the village equipped with hi-vis jackets and litter pickers.

Somewhat surprisingly, many of the children were especially enthusiastic to get involved, with one young participant declaring: “This is more fun than I thought it would be!”

Four girls from Second Liphook Rainbows attended as part of their Helpers Badge, bringing friends and relatives along, while 11-year-old Melissa, a Brownie, is well on her way to completing the six hours of community service required for her Civic Award thanks to the event.

Originally a parish council-run initiative, Liphook in Bloom took over several years ago. It has since become a popular annual fixture, bringing the community together while supporting the group’s wider work to enhance the village.

While turnout varies year to year, organiser Paul said the event continues to encourage residents to think twice about littering. He also noted the strong involvement of children appears to be having an impact beyond the day itself, with several participants admitting they now carry out their own litter picks during the year.

“I feel a bit bad,” Paul said. “I’m struggling to find places to send people because there’s not much litter this year.”

He was pleasantly surprised by the relatively clean streets and pavements, though added with a chuckle that it “doesn’t make us look quite as good”.

Others echoed the same experience, saying that where they previously filled two or three bags, this year some struggled to fill even one. Nonetheless, a respectable amount of rubbish was collected.

By Natalie Cocker