Phillip's been litter-picking – for 20 years
A CITY man has been voluntarily working night and day to keep his neighbourhood clean for almost two decades.
A CITY man has been voluntarily working night and day to keep his neighbourhood clean for almost two decades.Ever since Phillip Winfield (74) moved to Cromwell Street 17 years ago, he has been sweeping the area of litter dropped by passers-by.
Mr Winfield spent 21 years working for Peterborough City Council as a road sweeper, but has continued to keep the city tidy on a voluntary basis well into his retirement.
His efforts were brought to the attention of The Evening Telegraph by the chairman of Peterborough Muslim Organisation Abdul Choudhuri, who presented the hard-working pensioner with a gift and thank-you card on behalf of the community.
Mr Winfield said: "I started doing it when I first lived here and have just carried on.
"I do it to keep myself active. I haven't been to the doctor for six years, so it must be helping to keep me healthy.
"I think it's ridiculous that people throw rubbish on the ground in the first place. I see them driving past in cars all the time, dropping litter out of their windows.
"I don't mind sweeping the streets, but people should respect the area more.
"I'm very surprised and happy to receive the gift. Nobody has ever given me a present for doing it before."
Mr Choudhuri said: "He goes up and down the street all the time cleaning the area. At first I thought he was paid for it, but he simply does it to benefit the community.
"We really appreciate his efforts. If there were more people like him the city would be a much better place.
"Nowadays people don't seem to care or respect where they live and drop litter all the time, so for someone to go around cleaning up for free is incredible."
His work has made Mr Winfield something of a celebrity in the area, with people constantly stopping to say hello.
Kiran Hakim (19), of Cromwell Road, said: "He does a great job. If it wasn't for him the streets would be in a complete mess.
"I've known him since I was a child. He's a great man and works very hard."
Israr Hussain (28), also of Cromwell Road, said: "Everyone knows Phillip. The guy is quality. He's out at 7am sweeping the streets, but then he's doing it again at 10pm.
"First he only worked in Cromwell Street, but now I've seen him all over the area. He should definitely get paid – he does a fantastic job."
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Sunday 14 March 2010
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