A GROUP of volunteers dedicated to preparing their town for the In Bloom contest are using the occasion to highlight the blight of littering.

The organisers of Original Richmond In Bloom and Richmond Pride are planning a display of ‘waste’ sculptures for the Friary Gardens as part of the town's entry into this year’s Yorkshire in Bloom.

The sculptures will highlight the amount of litter generated by residents and visitors and demonstrate the town’s awareness of environmental responsibilities.

Loo Morton, who is the organiser of the sculpture display said: “We are very concerned about the amount of litter that we collect on our regular litter pick and tidy days and to reflect that, we would love some involvement from our community to help us make the ‘waste’ sculptures.”

The displays will be sited at the top of the Friary Gardens and the group is now appealing for individuals and groups to create sculptures on the theme of ‘Nature’.

The materials used should be waterproof and can be made out of such things as plastic bottles, bubblewrap, clingfilm, crisp packets, plastic punnets.

Anyone who wants to get involved should email Loo at neepsveg@gmail.com or contact her on 07917-455432.