Top spot - Haidee Robertson-Tant

* Green campaigner Laurel Spooner offered cash prizes to those who found the oldest pieces of litter in Colchester. From glass bottles to drinks cans, here are the interesting findings.

OUR competition to coincide with Keep Britain Tidy’s September Clean-Up produced four winners.

There were four categories - glass, plastic, metal and paper - and £50 is on its way to each winner.

Haidee Robertson-Tant' find was by far the oldest.

She was walking by the River Stour when she spotted a small glass bottle peeping out of the mud.

Beautifully shaped and a dreamy blue-green colour, it was a little lemonade bottle stamped Talbot and Co.

This Ipswich Company stopped making these bottles in 1908, which means it was dropped as litter 102 or more years ago.

When Haidee realised she was a winner she said: “I was shocked but chuffed to pieces when we found the bottle and enjoyed finding out about its origin.

"Although I wish people would apply the 'don’t put it down, put it away' motto with their rubbish, on this occasion I was so pleased they didn’t.”

Danielle Poll won the metal section when she sent in several drinks cans, historical successors to Haidee’s glass lemonade bottle.

She explained: “One is a Schweppes lemonade shandy can (no date on it but research shows it could be from the 1960s/1970s).

"The other is an old Coke can (again, no best before date but it does have an offer on it for a free Twix, with a closing date in 1987).”

When we asked how did it feel to find such old cans, Danielle replied: “While I'm very interested in vintage product design, I found it quite a shock that a can from the 1960s/1970s could still be so intact.

"It's so important for us to reduce, reuse and recycle. The future is so much more than a load of old rubbish.”

Thank you Danielle for your simple, brilliant advice.

It is up to us billions of humans, through billions of little decisions we take every day, to ensure “the future is much more than a load of old rubbish.”

As the cans were found on the site of old Severalls Hospital, opened in 1913 as an asylum for the mentally ill, Danielle has asked for her £50 to be donated to Mind - www.mnessexmind.org/donate/

What a beautiful thing to do - first to pick up litter which is such a depressing part of modern life, then donate the prize money to a charity which helps those with mental health problems.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Metal detector - Danielle Poll sent in several drinks cans

Daniel Egan was on the beach in Mersea Island when he found his prize-winning piece of plastic litter.

He wrote: “Myself and my other half found this 'Hoola Hoops' wrapper on West Mersea beach.

"When looking at the date on the wrapper, we were both shocked to see December 15, 1984.

"This wrapper is therefore older than me, because I'm 26.

"This just proves that plastic waste doesn't disintegrate at all and can cause a massive impact to the environment specially for the ocean.”

Thank you so much Daniel. You would certainly put a big smile on David Attenborough’s 94-year-old face!

Many people pick up a paper on their way to work but not in the sense that Sam James and partner Charlotte did as he was walking down Margaret Road, in Colchester.

Sam writes: “As you can see from the image, it is a piece of The Guardian newspaper which dates back to February 9, 2010.

"I was surprised to find it still in such good condition after so much time, scrunched up under a hedge.

"I think litter is a growing pandemic, especially in this country.

"It makes places look dirty and uncared for, not to mention the damage it can do to wildlife.

"I think as a collective we need to firstly tackle the root of the problem in those who drop litter and also encourage more people to help keep streets clean where they live locally.

"People who litter need to become aware of why it can be so harmful, that may help change their perspective rather than simply telling them ‘littering is wrong’.

"Making people aware it is a punishable crime to litter and there will be consequences should they litter would significantly help.”

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Not so hot off the press - Sam James and partner Charlotte spotted this newspaper while walking down Margaret Road, in Colchester

Hannah Liddamore sent in a photo of a potato crisps bag, a runner-up, and with it was a photo of herself in one of her favourite natural haunts - up a tree, where our ancestors came from, and a perch David Attenborough has chosen on several occasions.

Thank you Hannah for reminding us that trees are crucial for the health of the planet.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Tree climber - Hannah Liddamore

It is the perfect prompt for me to promote Eco Colchester’s Free Trees and Hedges Handout.

Around one thousand plants will be available so if you know a school, business, piece of land, allotment, church or garden that has the space for a tree, hedge or shrub contact Grace Darke via ecocolchester@en-form.org.uk

Plant just one tree, do one small thing to tackle litter and prove “you love where you live”.

Even if you don’t love it you’ll be improving it for everyone.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Snack time - Hannah Liddamore sent in a photo of a potato crisps bag