The P6 pupils were taking part in a clean-up project at Glen Esk Urban Greenspace in the Calderwood area of East Kilbride, just a short walk from their school.

Using refuse sacks and litter picking sticks supplied by the council the class of more than 20 pupils, along with their teacher Miss Laura Mooney, spent the afternoon removing litter from the ponds, paths and woodland as part of the council’s Its Your Place campaign.

And joining them on the day was Councillor Kirsten Robb, the Depute Chair of the council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee.

Councillor Robb said: "We had a great time, collecting 11 bags of litter from the beautiful woods around Glen Esk Park.

“The children were excellent and ended up playing in the woods we had cleaned up. I'd encourage everyone to do their bit by using bins and disposing of waste responsibly.

“If you can get out this Spring Clean month and help tidy up your local patch for even just five minutes, even better."

The pupils are not only keen litter pickers at Glen Esk but many of them are involved in the school grounds during break and lunch times. And some pupils even take part in litter picking and cleaning up their local area at weekends and during the holidays.

Hunter Primary School head teacher Gary Campbell said: “We are very proud of our pupils and we will continue to develop and promote life skills including being responsible citizens, supporting and caring for their local school community.

“And with Glen Esk on our doorstep, it allows the school to teach children the importance of climate change and the negative impacts litter can have on the environment.

“Engagement with the Eco Schools initiative as well as Climate Change and Sustainability lessons throughout our curriculum has further developed a positive attitude in supporting the big World message.”

As well as providing support to primary and secondary schools, volunteers and groups can fill in the council’s community clean up form to borrow equipment to help with their own litter picking projects and arrange collection of the bags afterwards.