The Prime Minister praised those taking part in the 10th Great British Spring Clean describing as “demonstrating that best of British spirit” to build a better Britain “black bin liner, by black bin liner”
Picture the scene. You open your front door. It’s a beautiful spring day. A nice lift before a hard day’s work. Then, just beyond your gate, you catch sight of something else. A worn-out mattress. Battered old cupboards. A rusty fridge. The unmistakable signs of a shameless fly-tipper. Dumping their unwanted rubbish on your street again.
I guarantee that at least one Mirror reader will have had an experience like this today. Probably more. Because fly-tipping is now all too common and not just in our towns and cities. Some fly-tippers even drive to the countryside just to tip their trash. They block village lanes. Destroy farmers’ crops. Create hideous eyesores in our beauty spots.
I understand why people get angry about this. It makes me angry. When I was Britain’s lead prosecutor, people used to talk to me about “low level” crime. They would use those words to describe fly-tipping or other anti-social behaviour. But for me this sort of crime has never been “low level”. It can ruin lives.
After all, if you grow up working class, your home is your base camp. It should provide families with the security they need to get on. Likewise, the view from your window shapes how you feel about your community. So when selfish idiots fly-tip, they aren’t just making a mess on our streets. They are dragging down our communities and our country. Making everyone feel a little bit less positive about the future.
That’s why I am so pleased to back the Great British Spring Clean, starting this weekend. For the last ten years this fantastic event has set an inspiring example to us all. Over four million bags of rubbish have been collected and removed. But it’s more than just the cleaning. It’s also an act of national renewal. Working people, coming together, to do their bit for community pride. Black bin-liner, by black bin-liner, helping to build a better Britain.
So I want to thank everyone who gets involved. But I also want to be clear that the Government has your back on fly-tipping. As part of my Plan for Change, we are putting an extra 13,000 neighbourhood police and community officers onto the streets to tackle anti-social behaviour. We are creating new respect orders that will give police new powers to crackdown on yobs. And we have invested £1.5bn in high streets, local parks, youth clubs and libraries to restore pride in our communities.
Because at the end of the day, that is what this is about – pride. I will never forget the scenes last summer after the disgraceful riots. Ordinary people coming out in their droves to clean up the mess. Taking their streets back from the mindless mob. It was a magnificent sight. For a country still in shock at the level of violence, it reminded us of our real values. A nation that has always taken great pride in the strength of its communities.
Everyone taking part in the Great British Spring Clean will be demonstrating that best of British spirit. Helping to take back our streets from the disgraceful selfishness of fly-tippers.
HOW TO TAKE PART IN THE GREAT BRITISH SPRING CLEAN
Since it started litter heroes across the nation have picked up more than four million bags of harmful rubbish from streets, parks and beaches – that’s more than half a million wheelie bins.
Any one of any age can join the campaign but children should be joined by a responsible adult. The Great British Spring Clean and Great Big School Clean 2025 will take place between now and 6 April. You can pledge to pick up a bag of litter – or more – as a group, individual or as a school via via keepbritaintidy.org/
WHAT DO I NEED?
IT’S recommended that you use a litter-picker and some gloves. You should also wash your hands regularly. Of course, you will also need a bag to put the litter in.
Count and photograph the bags you collect, and share your pictures online using the hash-tag #LitterHeroes
You can place the litter straight into your own outdoor bins – if it fits or via your local authority recycling centres.
