A retired doctor from Ardrossan has become North Ayrshire’s first LitterLotto winner after turning his trash into cash.

Father-of-three Dr Allan Merry won £100 on the free LitterLotto app which was developed by North Ayrshire Council and environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful to incentivise responsible litter disposal.

By binning their waste correctly, users earn the chance to win a monthly prize and a weekly jackpot.

Dr Merry was awarded the April cash prize.

He said: “I am one of the founder members of the Three Towns Clean Up Crew, which has a lot of activity in our area – the three towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston. I heard about LitterLotto via the group.

“I’m not sure what I will spend the money on.”

Since its launch on April 1, app users have responsibly disposed of more than 3,365 items of rubbish.

The application is available for North Ayrshire residents and visitors aged 13 and above.

(Image: North Ayrshire Council)

Download the app, take photos of correctly discarded litter, and await your prize draw result.

A monthly cash prize of £100 is up for grabs in North Ayrshire and each correct litter disposal also offers an entry into the weekly UK-wide LitterLotto jackpot of £1,000.

Monthly May winner Helen MacKinven plans to invest her winnings in garden plants.

She said: “I was in North Ayrshire in May on a trip to Cumbrae for a couple of days.

“I’ve visited Millport many times over the years with my family as we love the area. While I was there, I used the bins at Kames Bay.

“I use the app daily and would encourage other people to try it.”

Heather McLaughlin, campaigns coordinator at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “I’m delighted to see that Allan and Helen have been rewarded for doing the right thing through our partnership with LitterLotto and North Ayrshire Council.

“This collaboration is all about encouraging people to help tackle the country’s litter emergency and it’s brilliant to see people across the country continuing their efforts to keep Scotland beautiful.”

David Landsberg, founder and chief executive officer of LitterLotto, said people are becoming more aware and are making small changes that make a difference two months into the campaign.

Thomas Reaney, head of neighbourhood services at North Ayrshire Council, said: “It is encouraging to see that people are downloading the app and using it as they go about their daily business or visit the area.

"And it is great news that, since the launch in April, thousands of pieces of litter have been binned responsibly.”

The app can be downloaded at litterlotto.com or through the app store.

Users under 18 must claim their rewards through a parent or guardian.