Road sign left squeaky clean by proud resident

Giles Stokes used white vinegar to scrub down the dirty road sign on the A49

A man has left Hereford's "welcome to" sign squeaky clean as he aims to encourage residents to keep the area free of litter and dirt.

Giles Stokes, 50, undertook a four-hour litter-pick along the A49 two weeks ago before noticing how grubby the sign had become.

On Monday, the telecoms manager spent 45 minutes wiping the sign down with white vinegar.

He said: "I am proud of the city in which I live and I do not want to look out the window and see glass along the pavement and roads with litter blowing everywhere."

Discussing his latest cleaning project, he said: "It was very satisfying at the end. I was actually surprised at how easy the mould came off - it all just melted away."

The sign before it was cleaned by Mr Stokes

Mr Stokes began litter-picking 15 years ago when he moved into his current home in Saxon Gate with his baby twins.

It was then he discovered his local park was filled with glass and litter, posing a risk to children.

But the picking did not end there and he spread out his efforts around his estate before joining the Hereford Community Clean Up Group.

"I made friends, learnt the dos and don'ts of litter-picking and from there I started doing bigger areas," he explained.

"We went on group picks with the team and it just grew and grew, and it is still going on now."

Mr Stokes said he believed littering could be prevented with better education for the younger generations.

He is calling on fellow parents to make it clear to their children that littering is wrong.

"I know it is part of the school curriculum to make children aware of what littering is doing but it has to be parents as well," he said.

"[Tell] the kids off when they drop something, pick it up, put it in the bin and if there is no bin, put it in your pocket or your bag until you find a bin, or take it home."

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