VOLUNTEERS have cleaned up 16 miles of the Coast to Coast cycle and walking path between Chester-le-Street to Consett as part of the Big Spring Clean.
Sustrans organised eight spring litter picks with 136 volunteers clearing 193 bin bags of litter.
The initiative is run by Durham County Council with LitterFree Durham and Darlington Borough Council every year.
The campaign supports local volunteers, groups and businesses to organise litter picks or events to tidy up their village or town.
Sarah Donnelly, Sustrans volunteer coordinator, said: “Once again we’ve had a great team effort to tidy up the C2C in time for spring walks and cycle rides along this popular path.
“Litter is unsightly to look at and also causes many problems for wildlife.”
The C2C cycle and walking route runs 140 miles from Whitehaven to Sunderland and Sustrans manages the traffic free sections between Consett to Washington, and from Whitehaven to Rowrah and Workington to Keswick.
Council spokesman Oliver Sherratt said: “County Durham is a beautiful part of the world and we all want to keep it this way.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here