Pupils pick litter for culture city's spring clean

Children from primary schools in Bradford have been litter-picking as part of a spring cleaning initiative to mark the city's year as UK City of Culture.

The Great Bradford Spring Clean is urging people to spend at least 25 minutes each day picking up litter to improve the environment and boost civic pride.

Pupils at Bankfoot Primary School on Bolingbroke Street have put on their Bradford 2025 hi-vis vests and grabbed litter-pickers and bin bags to take part.

Tim Elcock, head teacher at Bankfoot Primary School, said: "I don't want the children to have to walk to school through crisp packets and drinks cans, I want them to have a journey to school that inspires them."

He added: "I think it is really important that as a school we are a place which is clean, which is tidy, which the children can have pride in.

"If they are having to walk through litter, it doesn't do much for their image of their school and their school grounds and how we want to be taking good care of it."

The school is one of more than 100 taking part in the "25 for 25" initiative, not only litter-picking but also taking part in games and activities around the theme of recycling.

The Spring Clean began on 21 March and runs until 6 April.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for healthy people and places, said: "This is a great opportunity to get involved in a community event to make our streets cleaner and more attractive.

"We always have great support for our spring clean so I am sure it will also get a great response this year too."

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