ECO-CONCIOUS fast-food workers and young police cadets collected a staggering amount of dumped rubbish during a litter pick.

McDonald’s employees in Harwich partnered up with the Harwich Volunteer Police Cadets on Sunday to conduct a meticulous sweep of the town.

They scoured the Hangings and the retail park and a half-mile radius of the surrounding areas, finding all sorts of carelessly discarded waste.

Everything from a ‘keep left’ bollard and empty bottles of alcohol to an abandoned shopping trolley was discovered during the litter pick.

In total the team impressively collected and bagged up 145.1 kilograms of rubbish, nearly doubling the group’s previous record of 80 kilograms.

An Essex Police Tendring spokesman said: “Thank you to everyone who helped tidy up our local community.”

The latest clean-up comes after Colchester Council launched several new litter-picking hubs across the borough.

They provide residents with the opportunity to borrow litter picking kit to use while they are out and about before then returning them at the end of the day.

Consisting of a decorated wheelie bin, the hubs offers litter grabbers, high vis jackets, litter picking hoops and bags.

To find out more information visit colchester.gov.uk.