Messy start to tidiness campaign

Litter is being left to pile up in the centre of Wigan this weekend to highlight the menace of people who dump rubbish in the street. Volunteers in the town will clear the mess tomorrow to launch Keep Britain Tidy's new Love Where You Live campaign, which wants to enlist three million people over three years to help reduce the amount of litter in England.

The public is being asked to spend five minutes at noon tomorrow gathering rubbish, pulling up weeds or sweeping the pavement outside their home or business.

Celebrity ambassador Kirstie Allsopp, who will join a clean-up event in Croydon, said: "By taking small actions, we can make a big difference and tackle the problem of litter that blights our beautiful country."

A new survey shows that seven out of 10 people admit to feeling guilty for dropping litter – more than for speeding. Caroline Spelman, Secretary of State for the Environment, said: "There's never an excuse to drop litter. It affects everyone and blights neighbourhoods."