OLDHAM’S champion litter picker had just completed a poignant cleaning marathon in memory of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bomb.

Ruth Major, aged 74, wrote a touching poem in the aftermath of the horror suggesting a lasting "beautiful garden of remembrance" to the victims by keeping Manchester’s streets permanently clear of rubbish.

She vowed to pick up 22 pieces of litter every week and urged friends and followers on social media to follow her example.

And now in the lead up to the second anniversary of the tragedy this week she posted a picture of rubbish she collected every day on her latest amazing whistle-stop “ramble” which took in Dublin, Belfast and Douglas in the Isle of Man by train, ship and bus.

Ruth carried a back-pack with a sign which read: “I’m picking up I piece of rubbish every day. Please join me in this campaign.”

She was interviewed by TV and radio on her travels before returning to Liverpool and then on to her Werneth home.

This was her 15th rubbish awareness ramble and she said: “I want to create a beautiful ‘garden of remembrance’ to the beautiful people who were brutally murdered.

“I have no idea if my suggestion was successful but, nonetheless, I have continued to play my part in an attempt to beautify our great city and its environs.

“This year, in order to attract everyone’s attention again I decided to post a photo of a piece of rubbish I’ve picked up, every day, for 22 days leading up to the second anniversary of the loss of the beautiful 22 and I asked for volunteers to do likewise.

“Several people agreed to join me and one, in particular, has also posted her photographs every day.”.

Recalling highlights of her trip she said: “Dublin is an amazing city and the people are friendly and pleasant – but the streets outside the city centre left a lot to be desired.

“Black bags of rubbish were left along the roadsides, making rich pickings for wild-life which tore them open and left the pavements strewn with rubbish.”

"Douglas was very clean and I was impressed by the general, communal attitude of responsibility for maintaining its beauty.

“On day 17 of my 22 days I returned by ferry to Liverpool and train to Oldham, having tried to spread the word that we can (and must!) do our bit for the environment.

“The responses I received have been amazingly positive," she added, “A young man from Liverpool spotted my sign on the train and promised to ‘follow’ me on social media.

“Shortly after he left the train, he messaged me on Twitter with, “I picked up two pieces on the way home which I otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Contact Ruth at: Facebook: RubbishRuthsRambles; Twitter #RubbishRuthsRambles @ruthmajor44; Instagram: #RubbishRuthsRambles @ruthmajor44; Read her blog: https://rubbishruthsrambles.co.uk; Email: ruthmajor44@gmail.com

Ends