VOLUNTEERS members of a Hereford litter-picking group spent two hours on a Saturday morning picking up cigarette butts from Hereford city centre to highlight the problems they cause the environment.

Thousands were collected and tipped into a large container so people could see the results.

Volunteers all wore T-shirts with the slogan ‘Bin Your Butt’ to encourage smokers to dispose of their cigarette ends responsibly.

Emma Jones said: “This has been an enjoyable morning, but quite shocking to see how many we collected in such a short time.

"Next time you’re walking down the street, take a look. It’s quite an eye-opener once you notice how many are around when you start looking.

"We just want people to think about the harm to wildlife and environmental impact cigarette butts have if not disposed of responsibly.

“Cigarette butts may seem small, but with several trillion butts littered every year the toxic chemicals add up!

"Cigarette butts are also a threat to wildlife. Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who mistake them for food.”