SOMETIMES it's quality that counts in life, rather than quantity.

That was very much the case when a small, but select, group of people banded together for a Big Clean around the streets of their home town.

After discussing the tidying mission at a Dalton Town Council meeting, putting posters up around the town and spreading the message via social media, Dalton mayor, Mrs Ann Thurlow, was hoping for a good turnout for a weekend litter pick, especially as the Saturday chosen was a beautiful, sunny day.

But it was not to be, and instead a team of four troopers in the shape of Mrs Thurlow, the council’s administration assistant Anne Lane, Nick Perie and Jean Yool, hit the streets of Dalton in a concerted effort to get rid of as much rubbish as they could.

After beginning at the leisure centre, the dedicated group moved around the town and found plenty of rubbish to pick up.

Mrs Thurlow explained: “A lot of people have complained about the state of the town’s streets. They do look in a bad state and are very untidy.

“That is in spite of the fact that we do have a very good street cleaner - but he can’t be everywhere.

“We found a lot of rubbish, including pizza boxes and fast food containers, which obviously people just drop. Behind Market Street was pretty bad for food rubbish and there was just a lot of litter in general.

“I do find it every upsetting that some people just don’t seem to take pride in their town. It doesn't seem to make a difference even when there are bins around for people to put their rubbish in.

"We went up and down Market Street and Chapel Street, up to the railway station.

"People who saw us did tell us we were doing a grand job and how marvelous it was to see see us doing the pick, which was nice to hear.

"We were out for about one-and-a-half hours and filled five bags with rubbish."

On a happier point, and in a show of real dedication, councillor David Gibson, knowing he could not make it on the Saturday morning, gave up part of his Friday night and went out on his own collecting litter.