A Llanidloes man has launched a campaign to clean up the town of plastic.

Philip Stallard’s ‘Message in a Bottle’ campaign aims to get the whole community together to make Llanidloes litter-free.

The campaign is gathering momentum, having won the support of town and county councils, businesses, schools, organisations and residents of Llanidloes, the first town on the Severn.

Mr Stallard, a volunteer co-ordinator for Powys County Council’s Countryside Services team, is planning a major litter pick from the source of the River Severn to the town on Saturday, June 30.

Cllr Janet Crisp, Mayor of Llanidloes, has invited the mayors of towns downstream of Llanidloes on the Severn to attend the launch, along with the mayors of Rhayader and Builth Wells, which are located on the River Wye.

More than 300 children and their families from Llanidloes Primary School and Ysgol Dyffryn Trannon will travel to different parts of Llanidloes by bus to pick litter, with the intention of tidying up the whole town by the end of the day.

Llanidloes Primary School children are being asked to each write their own message in a bottle about plastic pollution. The bottles will be used to make a giant jellyfish created by the children which will be on display in Llanidloes Community Centre.

With the support of Llanidloes Rugby Club, local musicians, DJs and Llanidloes Canoe Club, Mr Stallard hopes to organise an event with live music for teenagers who will be encouraged to help clear rubbish of a mile stretch along the River Severn.

“We are all so lucky to live in Mid Wales which is such an amazingly beautiful place, yet there is a section of our community that trashes it with litter,” said Mr Stallard.

“I am trying to spread the message to the whole community so that everybody feels part of the solution to the litter problem because we don’t want our rubbish ending up in the sea.

“There is so much we can achieve by all working together and hopefully we can persuade people who litter to change their ways. Let’s see if we can start something big in little Llanidloes.”