AN athletic gran who fills bin bags with rubbish from a park is Bolton's latest do-it-yourself litter picker.

Tess Harrison, aged 63, goes to Farnworth Park with her dog Lucky every morning at 9am and picks up discarded bottles and litter from the night before.

Since the beginning of the year she has filled 11 black bin bags and 31 carrier bags.

"I am a tidy person and just can't stand litter. I am worried about pets cutting their paws on the broken bottles or children hurting themselves," she said.

"I moved here 12 months ago and got so sick of the litter that I decided to start picking it up. Sometimes I do feel angry because the next day it's just the same, but people have said it's much better since I started doing it."

Sprightly Tess is the oldest member of Burnden Road Runners Club where she has won several awards.

She came joint third at a recent Ladies Presentation Evening in the 40-plus age group and has run several half-marathons.

There are plans to move the memorial of Farnworth benefactor Thomas Barnes to the park, but Mrs Harrison said that would be a mistake.

"I wouldn't say it's the right environment. Every morning it's full of rubbish and there has been a lot of vandalism," she said.

A council spokesman said: "The park is cleaned every day so any problems will be dealt with. This lady is welcome to contact us to discuss any particular problems she is aware of."

Mrs Harrison is the third person in recent weeks to be featured in the BEN taking to the streets with their own clean-up campaign.

Alison Jackson has been collecting rubbish around the Wayfaring estate in Westhoughton and Andrew Holmes has been going out every morning to clear rubbish from Cawdor Street, Farnworth, before going to work.

Do you know someone who is so fed up of litter in public places that they go out and clear it up themselves and do you think they should have to do it?

E-mail Chris Sudlow, Internet Editor, on csudlow@boltoneveningnews.co.uk ; Contact the newsdesk on Bolton 537270; or write to: Letters to the editor, Bolton Evening News, Newspaper House, Churchgate, Bolton, BL1 1DE