A JOHNSTONE woman has been staging a clearing-up operation to help keep her community looking spick and span.

Christine Newton, 54, and her partner Scott managed to fill up 14 bin bags in the first four days of their drive to tackle litter at Johnstone Bowling Club.

After being placed on furlough from her job as a customer service agent at Glasgow Airport as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Christine was determined to put her spare time to good use.

She told The Gazette: “The area at the bowling club has such lovely gardens and roses but there’s so much litter.

“We started filling three or four bags every day while out on our walk but there’s still a lot to do.

“I think it would be a good idea to have some signage near the bowling club to help prevent this.”

The couple’s clean-up project follows a social media plea from the bowling club earlier this month asking local people – and, in particular, those walking their dogs – to stay off the greens.

A spokesperson said: “The club is a lifeline to many of our members who are eagerly awaiting the coronavirus restrictions to lift so they can have a game of bowls.

“If this continues, then damage to the green is inevitable.”

Christine is backing the club’s calls for people to act more responsibly.

She said: “My 85-year-old dad is a bowler and knows how much work goes into maintaining the green.

“You see all these people with their dogs and it’s really hard to walk by and not say anything.

“I would ask those who are littering to have a bit of respect and keep this area nice.”

Christine has lived next to Johnstone Bowling Club for around 20 years and plans to continue picking up litter while she is off work.

She added: “We love this area. It’s a shame there is so much litter.”

Read all the latest from Renfrewshire and beyond

******************

Scotland is in lockdown. Shops are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. We're not exaggerating when we say the future of local newspapers and the vital service we have provided for many years is under threat.

Please consider supporting The Gazette in whatever way you can - by paying just 90p for a copy of the newspaper when you're shopping for essential supplies for yourself and others or by subscribing to our e-edition here.