Helston’s town warden Craig Bowcutt is the latest in a long line of local people to be recognised by Lizard Peninsula Friends of the Earth’s John Mackay Award.

The award was created in 2003 to celebrate the achievement of local individuals or groups towards improving the environment, and commemorates the late Porkellis resident John Mackay,

Presenting the Cornish oak trophy, Diana Wilson, of Lizard Peninsula FoE, said: “Helston is one of the very few towns in Cornwall to have a full-time warden and his work has a strong environmental impact both physically and socially.”

She said the town remained a clean and attractive place thanks to Craig’s regular litter picking. He helped deter anti-social behaviour and to support enforcement officers, working with the police to reduce crime and the fear of crime. He also kept graffiti and flyposting to a minimum and looked after street furniture.

“The amount of rubbish lying around after the February storms made clear how clean Helston normally is, thanks to Craig’s conscientious work,” added Diana.

Like many other towns, Helston had struggled to keep its centre vibrant and attractive. It succeeded mostly due to the dedication of its shopkeepers, supported by the town warden’s vigilance, cleaning and maintenance work, she said.

Diana appealed to residents and visitors to consider doing at least some of their shopping in the town centre, to help ensure Helston’s vitality and wellbeing in the long term.