The Woking Litter Warriors celebrated their second anniversary this month with a litterpick which started at the Woking College car park in Old Woking and wended its way eastwards along Rydens Way and tributary streets to its conclusion at the St Peter’s Recreation Ground. 

A total of 23 volunteers took part, collecting 26 bags of rubbish as well as an assortment of other detritus, including a swivel office chair, Alzheimer’s medication and motorbike oil filters.

They then enjoyed a well-earned drink courtesy of Martin and his team at the very welcoming Kingfield Arms. 

The Warriors have gone from strength to strength in the two years of their existence since founder Lauren Horncastle first launched the idea, starting with about a dozen members in the eponymous Facebook group and growing the total membership to almost 500. 

A number of local councillors have joined the Warriors’ organised litterpicks on occasion, as has MP Jonathan Lord, and have contributed to the collection of well over 700 bin bags of rubbish from around the borough, not counting the piles of old carpeting, car wheels/tyres and other miscellaneous parts, broken furniture, building materials and an enormous number of the now-outlawed NOS (laughing gas) canisters.

“It’s very encouraging that so many people are prepared to give up a chunk of their weekend to volunteer for an activity which is sometimes unpleasant,” Lauren said. 

“Among other things we’ve collected are several syringes and other sharps, often left where children or pets could disturb them and posing a real danger to the community.”

Cllr Ellen Nicholson holds the record for the most unusual item found on a Warriors pick: a Samurai sword hidden in a bush near a primary school in Sheerwater.

Next month the Warriors were planning to be out once again, clearing the route of the Surrey Half Marathon. But owing to its postponement until September, new locations are being evaluated.

Lauren said: “We’re never short of possible locations when it comes to heavily littered areas around the borough.”

The Litter Warriors meet as a group roughly once or twice a month in the Woking area, rain or shine, and can be found on Facebook at Woking Litter Warriors (WLW), on Instagram at wokinglitterwarriors or you can email them at [email protected] for more information.