A NEW group in Arlecdon is pledging to clean up the village, with residents of all ages mucking in.

Craig Tyson and his young family decided to set up the Arlecdon Community Action Group to ensure the village was clean, tidy and attractive for its residents and visitors.

The group has a coffee morning coming up, where locals can enjoy a cuppa, find out more about the new group and help raise funds for the group’s activities.

The coffee morning will be held at the Adams Hall on October 20 from 10am until noon.

Mr Tyson explained the residents’ frustration about the untidiness of the village before their big clean-up began, “It wasn’t being looked after, so rather than waiting for help we all just mucked in,” he said. “Residents wanted Arlecdon to be a clean, safe place to live, especially for the children of the village.”

At the moment, the group has eight members who contact each other about their plans for the village via a Whatsapp group, and meet up every five to six weeks. The group has enthusiastic helpers, aged from five to 60, who love to be involved. Mr Tyson said: “The kids love it, they think it’s really exciting.”

Not only does the group tackle litter and mess, it aims to make the village more attractive too. Mr Tyson said: “There was somebody years ago that planted daffodils in the village and it looked really nice. We wanted to do that again.” £200 was raised to buy and plant bulbs and it’s hoped they will make for a vibrant display in spring 2019.