CORONAVIRUS has turned much of our daily lives on its head – but it seems the lockdown has brought some improvements to the environment.

For 17 years, the Middlewich Clean Team has tirelessly picked up litter across town.

But lockdown has led to a sharp drop in the amount of litter across Middlewich, according to Janet Chisholm BEM, president of Middlewich Clean Team.

"Overall the litter problem has reduced greatly," she told the Guardian.

"I walk along the canal from Booth Lane bridge to Town Bridge, and on Wednesday [April 22] I spotted one can.

"That is absolutely fantastic really. There's just no litter."

A YouGov poll last week found that just nine per cent of people across Britain want life to return to 'normal' following the lockdown – with environmental improvements seen as a major benefit.

Asked whether the reduction in litter could continue beyond the lockdown, Janet said: "Hopefully – that would be great."

While littering seems to have declined across Middlewich, Cheshire East Council has had to remind residents across the borough to avoid fly-tipping, with tips currently closed.

In a post on Facebook last week, the CEC said: "We understand that many of you will be doing DIY and having a clear out and that there are currently fewer ways to dispose of or recycle bulky items.

"Whilst we are all doing our bit and staying at home, this inevitably leads to much higher volumes of kerbside waste for our waste collection service to collect. Any additional waste will cause a strain on our stretched resources.

"Please bear with us during this time and do not fly-tip – which is a criminal offence."

Residents are advised to hold onto bulky waste until tips are reopened, and to report fly-tipping on CEC's website.

The clean team has cancelled all recent litter picks due to the pandemic.

For more information visit facebook.com/middlewichcleanteam