THESE pictures show the incredible difference a group of litter-pickers have made at a derelict railway line in Hereford.

They collected about 60 sackfuls of rubbish, much of which will be recycled.

In the process they transformed an eyesore into what could with more care become an urban oasis for wildlife.

Andrew Wood, who along with Emma Jones helps organise the Hereford Community Clean-up Group, said the railway had once been a spur line to the Bulmer's cider plant. It runs from the main line behind Currys/PC World off Newtown Road to the edge of the Avara Foods site in Red Barn Drive.

"I looked at it about six months ago because there was a homeless camp under the bridge. When they abandoned it there were masses of needles there."

That is when he decided it might be a job for the group's army of litter-picking volunteers.

They set to work and over three weeks cleared much of the line of cans, bottles and general litter, as well as the drugs paraphernalia. Some of the items cleared could be dated back almost 30 years.

Mr Wood, 60, an energy assessor of Prior Road, Hereford, said the group drew from a pool of about 1,800 volunteers gathered around their Facebook page.

Like him, he said, most are motivated by a sense that the current generation is responsible for much of the environmental damage done to the planet. Collecting litter was a way of making amends to an extent.

If you would like to join the group search for Hereford Community Clean-up Group on Facebook.