A PLEA has been issued to the public to help keep a village playing field rubbish-free – after a litter-pick collected everything from broken glass to an old ironing board.

Volunteers targeted Oakworth’s football pitches for the clean-up ahead of the first full weekend of training for Oakworth Juniors’ teams following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Pickers of Oakworth members were joined in the initiative by parents and children from the football club, plus Worth Valley district councillors Rebecca Poulsen and Russell Brown.

Together they collected around 25 bagfuls of rubbish and several containers of broken glass.

Oakworth Juniors committee member Damian Holmes said the amount of glass found on the pitches was particularly worrying – and he made an appeal to the public.

He said: “Please, please help us from having to keep doing this time and again.

“We’d ask that parents make sure children are aware of the importance of tidying-up after them. And it is adults using the field as well – we’d urge everyone to please take away all your rubbish and waste.

“These fields are a great facility for the whole community. And the whole community needs to help keep them that way.”

He thanked the Pickers for setting-up the event and providing litter-pickers and refuse sacks, and C&L Herd Butchers for donating lunchtime bacon butties.

Stephen Ives, of the Pickers of Oakworth, said he was pleased to see children helping out. “They were a great bunch – very enthusiastic,” he added.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Oakworth Juniors club, or wishing to support it in any way, should email oakworthjuniorsfc@gmail.com or visit the Oakworth Juniors FC official Facebook page.