A DESIGN student from Plymouth University is appealing for six unemployed young people to help him with a litter picking project.

Tom Stevens, 26, currently an MA Design student at the university, recently won a competition in which he was awarded £500 to run a workshop that benefits unemployed people in the area.

The design competition, set up and funded by Santander in conjunction with Devon and Cornwall Police, asked city students to submit plans for a project that would help the unemployed – and Tom's litter-picking project was selected as a winner.

He said: "I was really pleased to have won and am now excited to start running the workshop.

"The project is called Clean Up Mutley and the idea is to get six unemployed people, aged between 18-25, to each design a litter pick.

"Myself and a few other design students will then make their picks in the studio before inviting the participants to take part in an actual litter pick on Mutley Plain where they can use the funky litter picks they designed.

"It will look great on their CV's as well as being a good community project – the crazier the designs the better."

Mr Stevens hopes to run the workshop in around two weeks with the final litter picking event likely to be held at the end of the month.

Marc Lintem, head of employability at the university, said: "This project is all about employability but also getting students to engage with the local community.

"It aims to break down some of the assumptions surrounding students and get them contributing to city life."

Anyone interested in taking part in the project who fits the criteria is asked to email careers@plymouth.ac.uk.