YOUNG rugby players helped to keep Durham City looking its best, by kicking litter into touch.

Members of the Durham City Under-13s team spent 90 minutes picking up rubbish that had been dropped along the city's riverbank between Framwellgate Bridge and Prebends Bridge.

The litter-pick, which ended with a free lunch at McDonald's restaurant, in High Street, was part of the Tidy Britain Group's Just Bin It campaign, which encourages people to dispose of litter properly.

Durham City councillor David Bell, the cabinet member responsible for the environment, said: "We've got a fantastic city and we want it to look as good as it possibly can, at all times of the year.

"In early summer, however, we're welcoming thousands of new visitors to Durham and it's particularly important to make that extra effort.

"We can all play our part by remembering to bin, rather throw away, our rubbish."

Waste collection manager Tom Punton said: "We've got together with the Tidy Britain Group and McDonalds to see how much of a difference we can make by binning the litter along the riverside.

"The Just Bin It campaign we are promoting is aimed at every single person who lives or works in Durham, to help us make the most of our city.