A three-year-old from County Durham has had his Christmas come early after embarking on his dream day out... litter picking.

Alfie Underwood, who lives in Sacriston, spends hours cleaning up the village with his grandmother, Gwyneth Avery.

Together, they raise awareness about the importance of not dropping litter.

When Alfie revealed to his grandmother that his top Christmas wish was to have his own litter picker, Gwyneth reached out to the council's civic pride team.

The team, who assist communities in maintaining cleaner neighbourhoods, were so impressed by Alfie's dedication that they decided to make his wish come true.

They gifted Alfie an early Christmas present consisting of his own hi-vis vest, a junior litter picker shaped like a raptor, a 'Bag o Hoop' to help keep bin bags open, and a Tidy Ted storybook with best wishes from the anti-litter mascot himself.

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Alfie and his grandmother also participated in an hour-long litter pick with the council's cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, Councillor Mark Wilkes.

They managed to collect two full bags of litter along their circular route.

Councillor Wilkes said: "It was an absolute delight to join Alfie on one of his litter picks where his passion for keeping his community clean really shone through.

"Tackling environmental issues such as street litter is not just about enforcement.

"We also need to encourage and educate everyone to 'do their bit' to make County Durham cleaner, safer, and greener.

"It was heartwarming to see someone as young as Alfie thinking about the effects of littering on the environment and how, as a member of his community, he can be part of the solution."

The civic pride team helps residents, community groups, schools, and businesses take action to make their neighbourhoods a cleaner and greener place to live.