Litter Wombles across Leicestershire picked up 40,000 bags of rubbish this year alone, and expect their all-time total to hit 200,000 next year. One volunteer, Sam Laywood, also raised £2,135 for the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust during a 16-hour, 26.7 mile sponsored pick between Belton, in Lincolnshire, and Broughton Astley, in the Harborough district.
Further north, the Litter Wombles took on the task of cleaning the entire outer ring road in Leicester.
The 15-pick project saw 929 bags of rubbish cleared over the summer. Starting near Glenfield Hospital, volunteers worked their way week by week, section by section through Rushey Mead, Evington through Oadby, Soar Valley way and back round to the Glenfield area.
The group also celebrated its fifth anniversary with a huge group pick in the city’s Western Park area. The event saw 59 volunteers come out and 126 bags of litter cleared.
The Wombles are a recognised fixture across Leicestershire, with their work even attracting the attention of Syston’s Knitting Banksy, who made a post box topper celebrating their achievements. This, the group said, has now done a tour of the county with the volunteers.
Among all their efforts have been a number of surprise finds – from a discarded safe to 30-year-old packaging to a used sanitary towel slapped on a road sign.
Scroll below to discover some of the Wombles more curious finds of 2024:

1. A rusted motorbike
An old motorbike was found during the Western Park pick. Photo: South Leicestershire Litter Wombles

2. Angel wings
The litter heroes took to angelic heights in 2024. Photo: South Leicestershire Litter Wombles

3. Knife
A knife was found by the Wombles hidden near a school. Photo: South Leicestershire Litter Wombles

4. Excessive littering
Litter by the side of the railway bridge flyover, in Rushey Mead. Photo: South Leicestershire Litter Wombles