THE big clean-up is under way in the New Forest.

New Forest Pride Week was also given a helping hand by Womble Great Uncle Bulgaria.

The commission has teamed up with New Forest District Council in a joint campaign against litter, not only on the heaths and woodlands, but also in the towns and villages.

Tons of rubbish ranging from sweet wrappers to television sets have been picked-up.

But as the new initiative got under way, New Forest District Council's vice-chairman John Hoy described litter as "one of the culture problems of the new century".

He added: "Abroad and particularly in Scandinavia, dropping litter carries big penalties and nobody drops anything - because the instant they do, someone will shop them.

"Some of the litter being picked up today would be here for ever if it wasn't for the volunteers who are supporting this effort. A plastic bottle, for instance, takes a million years to decompose."

The Forestry Commission's senior New Forest officer, Deputy Surveyor Donald Thompson, also called for peo-ple to think twice before leav-ing litter.

"If someone drops litter, someone else will follow suit. What we need to do is get the message across so we stop the first person.

"But this clean-up is a credit to all the people concerned with it and it does make a difference to the Forest," he said.

This year's Pride Week is a nostalgic one for the Forestry Commission's southern district forester Martin Fletcher.

He has been involved in 15 of the clean-ups and this will be his last as he is retiring at the end of the year.