A pensioner has been recognised for his integral role in helping to keep Bolsover district tidy.
Pensioner Al Williams can spend up to four hours a day litter-picking and is a familiar sight on local country lanes, especially around Pleasley, Shirebrook, Bolsover, South Normanton and Pinxton.
His efforts are so appreciated, he was recently nominated for a BBC Make A Difference Award.
He was one of four shortlisted out of hundreds in the Volunteer category and, although he didn’t win, he was highly commended.
Al, who is retired and lives in New Houghton, said: “It came completely out of the blue – I didn’t know anything about being nominated.”
He was nominated by Abbi Marriott, from Shirebrook.
Abbi, who accompanied Al to the BBC awards ceremony at Pride Park Stadium, home of Derby County FC, said: “I nominated Al because he does such good work in the community and I just think he deserves a bit of recognition.
“People have no respect and throw litter out of their car windows, or fly-tip, even though they see Al at the side of the road.
“He’s out for hours on end and he collects bags upon bags of rubbish.
“I think Al is amazing – he’s a real pillar of the community.”
Al, who has worked at a brewery, in landscape gardening and in the building trade, said a particular hot-spot for litter was Common Lane, in Shirebrook, and he recently collected 33 bags of rubbish in one short trip.
“I’ve always walked,” he added. “I love being in the countryside – that’s my motivation.
“I can’t stand to see it made a mess. If I see a road when I’m driving and it’s messed up, it plays on my mind and I’ve got to go and clear it up. One lady once complimented me that an area looked like it had been ‘vacuumed’ after I’d finished.”
Councillor Jeanne Raspin, Bolsover District Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “It’s a shame that litter-picking is necessary - I wish people wouldn’t drop rubbish and throw it out of car windows, but as they continue to do so we need people like Al who are willing to make time and have the dedication to show they care about our environment.
“His endeavours are just one example of the excellent contribution the army of voluntary litter pickers make to the council’s cleansing department’s efforts in keeping the district clean.
“We have volunteers ranging from individuals to groups, on one-off litter picks or over a continued period of time, giving up their valuable time for the community and environment benefit. Thank you all.”