AFTER much thought and contemplation, I have decided to hang up my litter picker and step down from carrying out my early-morning litter picks throughout Andover Town Centre and beyond.

As many of you will know, I recently completed a massive challenge – to litter pick from all the boundary signs from the north, south, east and west of Andover into the town centre – wearing my trade mark high heel shoes. The story was picked up by the BBC and went out on the lunchtime news.

It was whilst conducting this mega litter pick that I decided I wanted to concentrate more on the central thrust of my campaign, having an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’.

I want to encourage everyone, not just the pupils in the schools that I talk to, about the values that enhance our lives when we live it, with gratitude.

I will, of course, continue to inspire others to follow my example of picking up litter when they pass something laying around on a seat, bench, window sill or even near litter bins, for themselves to pick up at least one piece of litter a day, pop it in the bin and get on with living.

That is what having an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ is all about.

I will continue to attend one-off organised litter picks, such as the Town Tidy Day, The Great British Spring Clean, and The Council Sparkle Days, but I am bringing to an end, my daily litter picks in order to have a bigger impact in encouraging people to have an Attitude of Gratitude.

Manuela Wahnon, Rack Close, Andover.