Volunteers from one of the sponsors of the Big Clean 2016 campaign have revamped the container that houses an important beach cleaning machine.

Big Clean sponsors Centrica worked in close contact with South Walney Infant and Nursery School to create a beautiful new container for the gaiter that is used for Walney beach cleans.

John Watson, 46, from Gleaston, is an environmental manager at Centrica, but also a volunteer for the Furness Waste Consortium, Morecambe Bay Partnership and Natural England.

He said: "We wanted to work with a primary school so that we could educate the children about the importance of keeping the beaches clean.

"At the start of October I painted the container with professional Polish painter Dominica Phillips and my fellow Centrica employee Ben Chalder.

"It was a hectic weekend because we wanted to get the right balance between looking impressive and staying true to the designs the children had created for us."

South Walney Infant and Nursery School's Year two teacher Colleen Fagan, said: "My class, the Skylarks, rose to that challenge and created some imaginative and colourful pictures for the project.

"They thoroughly enjoyed the task and were reluctant to let their creations go as they wanted to add more and more detail.

"As an island school and also the holders of a Green Flag Eco School they are proud and excited to learn their work is now highlighting the importance of keeping our beaches clean."

Mr Watson, who has previously won a Love Barrow Environmental Award, is passionate about getting involved with the community and keeping our beaches clean.

He said: "As a sponsor of the Big Clean campaign, I think it is so important to get out there and make a practical difference.

"I have been working with Steve Benn, the senior reserve manager at Natural England's North Walney National Nature Reserve, and he was thrilled to get the local school involved as well."