LETHAL weapons have been handed in to police after they were discovered by litter pickers in Branchton.

A machete, a knife and pieces of a broken BB gun were found during a community clean-up in a wooded area near Dingwall Drive.

Inspector Paul Thompson of Greenock Police Station said it was 'extremely worrying' to see that the items had been dumped in the woods.

He said: “We will not tolerate offensive weapons in our local communities and we are committed to finding those who use them to cause harm to others.

"It is not an excuse to carry an offensive weapon for self protection.

"No matter the intention, if a weapon is used to cause injury the effects can be devastating and could ultimately cost someone else their life.

“If you have information regarding anyone carrying offensive weapons please report it to Police Scotland on 101.

"Alternatively information can be passed anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Despite the shocking discovery, the litter pick still proved to be a success, with 70 bags of rubbish filled in just two hours.

The clean up effort was organised by the Literati Guide to Inverclyde group in partnership with Branchton Community Centre following discussions about the state of the site with Stuart McMillan MSP and local councillor James Daisley.

As well as volunteers from the community centre and Literati, the litter pick included representatives from MSP Stuart McMillan's office, local councillors Mr Daisley and Paul Cassidy and staff members from the EE call centre.

UK charity Action for Children also helped clear a path for the litter pickers to use ahead of the tidy up.

Stephen Henry of the Literati group told the Tele it would take time to undo the decades of dumping that had taken place in the area.

He said: "We've got years and years of environmental abuse here.

"There are elements of fly-tipping here too - a television, a pram, some tyres and a couple of scooters.

"We'd love this to be a place where people feel proud of their local environment."

Community centre manager Willie Wilson hopes the event is the start of a fruitful relationship between Literati and the facility.

He added: "As soon as you come over the bridge near this area you're in Branchton - and if this mess isn't cleaned up then people's first impression of the area could be a piece of land filled with debris.

"We'll work with Stephen and Literati in the future to clean up the rest of Branchton.

"It will take a big effort to get the area cleared, there's 20 years of dumping here."

While the hard work of the volunteers has helped remove some of the rubbish on the site, MSP Mr McMillan says people have a responsibility to look after their own neighbourhoods.

He said: "There should be no need to organise litter picks anywhere as people should dispose of their rubbish responsibly, but the reality is some people treat our natural environment like a bin.

"Until that stops, those of us who want to keep our communities tidy are taking the message to those people who wish to create a mess on their own doorstep, that we aren’t going to accept it.”

A second litter pick is set to be held at the woods tomorrow and those who wish to participate are asked to meet at Dingwall Drive at 10am.