People in the north east are being encouraged to support the environment with Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity is marking its 70th anniversary by recruiting volunteers for the national #LitterHeroes ambassador programme.

Currently, the north east has seven ambassadors and Keep Britain Tidy wants to enhance those numbers.

Speaking about the initiative, the charity's chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: "As we celebrate 70 years of Keep Britain Tidy, we want to say a huge thank you to all of our extraordinary volunteers who, over the years, have inspired us and helped shape our work."

Emphasising the environmental threat, she added: "Our environment, our wildlife and our oceans are increasingly threatened so we need to find more inspirational volunteers who can join us in the fight to protect them."

Last year, it was estimated that 34,565 bags of rubbish were picked up by volunteers across the north east. People can sign up by visiting the Keep Britain Tidy website.