A PICK-UP truck packed full of litter and green waste was removed in a clean-up operation of a neglected patch of land in St John's yesterday.

City councillors Simon Geraghty and Ian Imray donned fluorescent jackets and heavy-duty gloves and joined members of the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust to get down to work tidying up the site off Turnpike Close which was overgrown with trees and foliage.

They decided to do the job themselves as the owner of the land cannot be traced.

As it is in private ownership the city council could not authorise its cleaning or adopt the site as there is little hope of selling it on.

Speaking after the four-hour clean-up Coun Imray said it was a job well done. "Hopefully people will now be able to walk along the footpath without being attacked by brambles," he said.

"Unfortunately this is only a short term measure but in the long term hopefully someone will take responsibility for the site."