In Pictures: Huge community effort clears litter from Boston area streets

Community members came together in Boston on a wet Sunday morning to take part in the annual Wombles’ Big Borough Spring Clean event.

Organised by Wyberton Wombles, and supported by Boston Borough Council, regular wombles were joined by residents, police cadets, local councillors and others. Each were equipped with high-vis jackets, grabbers and waste bags ready to tackle various areas of the town and borough.

​A council spokesperson said on the day: “Despite the less-than-ideal weather, a massive thank you to all the incredible volunteers who joined this morning (and those that did their bit earlier in the week). Your unwavering dedication to our town is truly inspiring. Rain or shine, your hard work and commitment shine through, making our community a better place for everyone.”

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Community Voluntary Service (LCVS) added: “Big shout-out to the Wyberton Wombles and Boston Borough Council for organising an incredible event! A huge thank you to our 22 volunteers, including the awesome Boston Police Cadets team. Despite the cold and rainy Sunday morning, everyone worked tirelessly, making a massive impact on our town. Your dedication is truly appreciated.”

​Regular Wombles had also been out earlier in the week clearing litter – their rubbish bags were added to Sunday’s effort – with around 200 collected in all.

As previously reported, Steve Slater, founder of Wyberton Wombles, dressed up as ‘Great Uncle Bulgaria’ to make a rallying call for people to get involved in the annual clean-up.

Speaking to the Standard today (Monday), Mr Slater indicated that less bags were collected at this year’s event compared to 2023 as they now have more volunteers clearing local areas on a regular basis.

“I had a drive round the town on Saturday morning, and it's a lot better,” he said. “We picked over 200 bags over the week. Numbers collected compared to last year down by 100, which is good. We are collecting more bags on a weekly basis because we have a few more people doing it in new areas.”

He added: “I'm really pleased with how it went considering the weather.”