VOLUNTEERS are taking action to reduce litter dropped on the streets of Eastleigh.

Since January this year, 15 kilograms of waste have been found by rubbish collection group Eco Warriers, alongside retrievals of old tyres, shopping baskets, an old exhaust, sandbags and traffic cones.

Litter collections include bottles with expiry dates from years ago, including one plastic bottle with a best-before-date of 2009.

The group recycle all items they find - for items that cannot be recycled, building blocks are made, which include the building of indoor furniture, gardens and park equipment.

Doots Tyler, 36, who works as a reassurance writer, started the group and said: "We collected 8 bags last weekend just in Goodwood Road Industrial Estate and over 300 rubber bands which is pretty appalling.

"The majority of the litter found is discarded food and drink waste - cans, bottles, crisp packets, sandwich wrappers, chocolate bar wrapper, and so on.

"The reason for setting up Eco Warriers was to try and encourage the community to come together for group litter picks, with the idea of reducing the amount of litter discarded and with the hope that a tidier area would make people less likely to drop their litter."

She used to spot litter when walking her dog most mornings with Andrew Archard - which sparked an idea between them.

"Our conversations centred around the horrendous amount of litter we were faced with each day and how we could go about improving the situation.

"We created the group in the hope of encouraging the local community to get together, to make a difference and to be proud of the place in which they live."

Eco Warriers' litter collection events take place monthly.