SOME 23 bags of rubbish and three car tyres were collected during an organised litter pick in and around Exford.

Volunteers took to the streets and green spaces to bag up rubbish other people had just dumped.

Organisers thanked everyone who turned out to help – including Joan Atkins who picked up litter despite nursing broken ribs.

One of the organisers, Jeremy Hickman, said: "A big thank you to all who gave up their time on Saturday afternoon for litter picking.

"Eleven villagers came out to support this effort and I think we can all say this has made a great difference around the village.

"A great disappointment, though, that within 24 hours some litter has begun to appear!"

He said more people were always welcome to join the litter-picking team and it was hoped to eventually link up with other moorland villages to hold an Exmoor-wide litter pick.

In the interim, many of the Exford volunteers have agreed to keep an eye on specific parts of the village in an attempt to keep them litter-free for both locals and visitors.