New Inn girl praised for her 'spontaneous' litter picking

Five-year-old Neve Taylor from New Inn, has caught the imagination of her community after she spontaneously decided to start litter picking on the Grotto in Pontypool last weekend. 

Her dad, Alun Taylor said he and her mum have always discussed the importance of looking after your environment. 

He said: "My wife Gemma and I have always discussed the importance of taking responsibility for your own litter, explored the reasons some people don’t and why it’s important to look after your environment.

"Last weekend on a walk up the Grotto in Pontypool we saw a pile of litter on the pavement and Neve spontaneously asked if we could go litter picking on the weekend."

After buying her some panda gloves, rubbish bags and litter pickers, the family walked around the Grotto estate in a loop. 

Neve was hard at work litter picking with her special panda gloves (Image: Alun Taylor)Neve managed to collect a bag full of litter simply from the pavement on their route. 

Dad Alun added: "It was really lovely to see numerous walkers who stopped to congratulate and encourage her. 

"After our walk, we stopped at a friend's house who generously gave her ten £1 coins for her efforts."

Neve was also rewarded by other people they passed, including an older gentleman who got out of his car when they passed on the last leg of their journey and gave her a £2 coin, telling her well done for her work. 

Neve managed to collect a whole bag of litter from the pavement on her route (Image: Alun Taylor)

Her parents said they were "so proud" of their daughter for her efforts to help the environment and how much she had clearly learned about why it is important to look after our environment. 

Dad Alun added: "I thought what a considerate request for someone so young and how kind of the community to encourage her and congratulate her for her efforts.

"Hopefully this will encourage other children of her age and adults alike."