GWENT residents can help tidy up their communities as part of the annual Heads of the Valleys Spring Clean.

The initiative, now in its third year, aims to get volunteer groups involved in clean-up events to make their local environment cleaner and greener.

The 2008 event will take place between April 21 and 27, and Keep Wales Tidy have produced free clean-up kits.

Residents in Blaenau Gwent, and parts of Caerphilly and Torfaen can take part in the initiative.

Deputy Regeneration Minister, Leighton Andrews said: "This is an extremely important campaign and I hope that this year more people than ever will become involved and spread the message that there is no excuse for fly tipping or littering our streets, roads and highways with rubbish."

To register for a free clean-up kit, which includes guidance notes on how to organise a fun, safe clean-up event, publicity materials and tabards to keep participants clean and dry, contact Keep Wales Tidy on 029 2072 6962, email: hov@keepwalestidy.org or visit the website: www.keepwalestidy.org.