A TELEVISION star wasn’t shy in getting his hands dirty as he took part in a fast-food chain’s environmental initiative in Colchester.

Joey Essex, most famous for his stint on The Only Way Is Essex, visited McDonald’s, in Cowdray Avenue, over the weekend for the restaurant’s Keep It Clean campaign.

Joining a litter-picking crew made up of the takeaway’s most eco-conscious workers, Joey helped the volunteers collect an impressive eight bags of discarded waste.

The Colchester event followed a week of rallying from Joey and the restaurant as they encouraged residents in the area to do their bit to keep the town’s streets clean.

It also helped McDonald’s complete its biggest ever nationwide litter pick, which saw more than 1,000 bags of rubbish collected across the country.

Franchisee Craig Newnes, who owns the Colchester restaurant, said: “It was fantastic to see Joey back in his home county doing his bit to keep the city looking beautiful.

“I’m passionate about tackling the problem of litter in Colchester, especially in the areas local to my restaurants.

“My teams go on daily litter-picking walks, and we organise regular litter picks as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our streets clean and tidy.”