COUNCILLORS have swapped desks, reports and speeches for rakes, loppers and grabbers to try and spruce the town up.

The Conservative group has launched a campaign to make Swindon clean and green, and has even added a hashtag for social media – #welovewherewelive.

Members have been litter picking, clearing scrub and trimming overgrowing branches.

Council leader David Renard said: “Our campaign is about creating a clean and green Swindon which everyone can enjoy.

"This is about all of us doing our bit. I am so proud that in our town we already have a lot of people and groups who regularly pick litter and who support our parks and open spaces to make sure they are clean and tidy.

"I want to celebrate this, as well as attract new groups, organisations and businesses to start doing the same."

Conservative councillors are working with local volunteers every month to organise litter picks, plant trees and a carry out activities that will help make the town cleaner and greener.

Cllr Renard added: "Visible local environmental action can make a huge difference.

“Our launch has already seen the Conservatives organise over 50 volunteers to clean road signs in Wanborough, cut back bushes and trees and tidy up Liden lagoon.

"There's been litter picks in Stratton, Lydiard, and Freshbrook, removal of graffiti in Coleview, weeding of verges in north Swindon and tidying the up laybys in Wroughton – for many people their first impression of Swindon.

"Our green ambition is to see 5,000 more trees and native flowers growing in Swindon over the next five years.

I am pleased that the Conservatives have championed, and led on, clean and green issues for many years. Tackling single-use plastics, encouraging renewable energy; recycling; protecting and enhancing our country parks; supporting allotments, food growing and gardening; community clean-ups; green action days and planting hedges and trees to stop inappropriate housing development are just a few that come to mind. Our new campaign will try to highlight the good work taking place, and encourage residents and companies to join us in thinking clean and green.”

Although the campaign has been started by the ruling Conservative group, it’s not exclusive to the party.

A spokesman for the group said: “We’d want as many people as possible to join in and

volunteer.

“And we’d be delighted if councillors and members and supporters of other parties wanted to get involved and make this a cross-party issue. The more people who get involved the better."

Liberal Democrat council Stan Pajak said: “This sort of initiative is nothing new, these sort of things happen all the time, but I’d certainly want to encourage people to get involved.

"A sense of ownership of where you live is important and helps make it a better place.”