Litter picker discovers chips bag from 1976

By James Connolly and Ruby Watson

A litter picker found a crisp (chips) packet that has survived for more than 50 years while clearing rubbish from a beauty spot.

Dave Bentley, 62, spotted the faded wrapper poking out from beneath the moss while helping to clean up Bealey's Goit - a channel near Bury, Gtr Manchester.

He said: "I knew it was pretty old, because I have a habit of giving rubbish a quick wipe with my hand if it looks like it's in good condition.

"Generally, if they're really old, the best before dates are melted off by the weather.

"But with this crisp packet, I could see the date straight away."

After wiping away the dirt, the team realised the plastic wrapper appeared to be a packet of salt and vinegar Smiths crunchy potato twists dating back to the mid-1970s.

Dave said: "I thought, it's a Red Letter Day find - I've got a 50-year-old crisp packet!"

Printed on the back is a promotional offer advertising a 'unique party book' for 25p - along with instructions explaining how to place an order.

But the real giveaway was the closing date of the promotion: March 31, 1976, meaning the packet could be more than half a century old.

Dave said crisp packets from that era rarely survive long enough to be identified.

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He added: "At the end of the day, we're dealing with rubbish that people have thrown away and it's a horrible job.

"So, when you find something like this, it does lighten your day."

The find came during ongoing clean-up efforts around the reservoir basin.

Dave says wardens have removed 324 sacks of rubbish in just three years from the area.

The crisp packet itself is from Smiths, the British snack brand founded in 1920, which created its iconic salt and vinegar flavour in 1967.

The brand later came under the same ownership as Walkers Snacks in 1982 and is still produced in the UK today, with favourites including Scampi Fries, Frazzles and Salt and Vinegar Chipsticks remaining popular.

Dave's unusual discovery comes shortly after he returned from an epic seven-month litter-picking adventure across the world.

The dedicated volunteer travelled across Japan, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Dave said he couldn't resist picking up rubbish when he saw it, adding: "Nobody goes on trips to do litter-picking.

"They go on trips to see wildlife, landscape, people, culture, and have new experiences. But because I am a litter-picker, it's what I do."