A WALTON litter-picking group are celebrating their third anniversary this week. 

The Walton Wallys are a litter-picking group who have been cleaning up rubbish from Walton town for three years. 

Rachel Barford, leader of the Wallys, said: "I am delighted that the Wallys have reached this landmark.

"I am so pleased that people who turned up for the first pick are still coming along regularly, and that everyone is so supportive of our efforts."

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Hefty - Wallys dig up a discarded armchair on the beachHefty - Wallys dig up a discarded armchair on the beach (Image: Walton Wallys)

The group was created after one of the first Covid lockdowns with help from Rachel's litter-picking friends Jane Hafford and Julia Jayne. 

Rachel said: "I was concerned that our lovely coastal town was inundated with litter, and I wanted to do something about it."

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Piles - Another snippet of what the group has collected in the past three yearsPiles - Another snippet of what the group has collected in the past three years (Image: Walton Wallys)

Throughout the years, the group has approximately collected 800 bags of litter and around 400 bags of glass, plastic bottles and cans, which they remove for recycling.

Rachel said: "We also find larger objects such as old bikes, wood, buoys, buckets, etc, and find new homes for reusable items like a dog bowl, plastic bags, balls and beach toys.

"We also love checking the dates of litter that we collect, we have found a Hula Hoops packet from 1986 and a Pepsi can from 1995."

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Vintage - A Pepsi can from 1995 found by one of the WallysVintage - A Pepsi can from 1995 found by one of the Wallys (Image: Walton Wallys)

The Walton Wallys now has more than 300 members and sees small portions of the group come down to the fortnightly litter picks. 

She added: "Without our fabulous volunteers, the Wallys wouldn’t exist.

"We have at least 12 volunteers at each pick, and all are always smiley and keen.

"We don’t expect everyone to come to every litter pick as the times and days are varied to suit different people’s timetables.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Wally Trolleys - Two Wallys with their litter-picking trolleysWally Trolleys - Two Wallys with their litter-picking trolleys (Image: Walton Wallys)

"Their contributions are invaluable, every single piece they pick up is one less piece of litter in our environment.

"All the volunteers are of the mindset that they want to make Walton a better place to live and visit. I would like to thank them all from the bottom of my heart."

To get involved in a litter pick go to the Walton Wallys Facebook Page.