In the bag!

The village of Ratho had a spruce up recently, courtesy of volunteers from the area, members of the environment group from the local community council, pupils from Ratho Primary and teams from the South West Neighbourhood Office.

Children set an example by urging residents to keep their neighbourhood clean, green and free of litter.

The event was one of more than 40 held in Edinburgh as part of National Spring Clean, a month-long campaign organised by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Ratho Primary pupils took part in a poster competition to publicise the event. The talented winner was P2 pupil James Mair who had his design reproduced on a T-shirt.

Judith Wightman, chair of the Ratho community council, said: “I think this is a great event and I’m happy that the children are involved. This will give them a feeling of ownership of their grounds and surroundings and hopefully encourage everyone in the community to keep their own area clean and tidy.”