AN ALL-OUT community effort has turned a litter-blighted green space into one of the cleanest areas in town.

As the Adver reported last week, 73-year-old Daphne Pook, who lives opposite Buckhurst Field, in Buckhurst Crescent, Walcot, was so fed up with what she saw as a poor clean-up by Swindon Council that she decided to tidy up herself.

In just two days, the retired cleaner, who has angina, arthritis of the spine and a metal piece in her leg where it had been fractured, filled seven bin bags with litter.

The great-grandmother-of-four vowed to keep on cleaning, and last week, a team of about 30 people turned out and left the field practically litter-free after the Adver published an appeal for people to help Daphne.

Daphne said she wanted to thank the Adver for the publicity because she would not otherwise have been able to round up so many people.

“It looks marvellous, absolutely fantastic,” she said. “I have never seen the field as clean in the 17 years I have been here. It has never been like that.

“I was absolutely gobsmacked by the turnout and thrilled to bits. I was really over the moon with it all because it made it so much easier for everyone to do it. It was such a lovely atmosphere, everyone was laughing and joking.”

Those helping Daphne out on Thursday included councillors Steve Allsopp, Mark Dempsey (both Lab, Parks), and Ellen Osa (Lab, Walcot).

Those also involved were two probation officers, with 10 offenders on community payback, as well as two PCSOs, neighbourhood wardens, and a couple from Covingham, who saw the article in the Adver.

The team filled about 40 bags with litter, which they piled in Daphne’s front garden to be collected by the council.

Daphne, a former co-owner of Ace Of Maids cleaning firm, said litter is a problem on Buckhurst Field because there are only three bins on the large site, which are often overflowing, so the council must give people the facilities to keep their area clean.

Coun Mavis Childs, East Cluster chairman, said: “The local community have raised concerns about the amount of litter on Buckhurst Field, but we do not believe that putting in extra bins is the solution to the problem.

“The last time we installed a new bin in Buckhurst Field it was vandalised and set on fire after just a week. As a result, we are working with local community groups as we think long-term education and litter prevention is the most sustainable way forward to address this issue.

“We would also welcome any suggestions from members of the public, particularly if they have any other thoughts on how we can tackle this problem.”