District at war with rubbish (From Witney Gazette)

District at war with rubbish

9:00am Wednesday 18th October 2006 in Witney By Jo Duckles

LITTER bugs who leave West Oxfordshire streets strewn with rubbish are being targeted by a major campaign launched today.

The Witney Gazette has printed posters promoting the campaign, which aims to stop people dropping rubbish around the area's villages and towns.

The campaign aims to highlight how West Oxfordshire District Council spends hundreds of thousands of pounds every year cleaning up the streets after people have failed to put their litter in a bin.

The district council and Witney Town Council have joined forces for the campaign, to get across the message that litter is everyone's concern. The Gazette's anti-litter posters will be going up in shop, school and business windows, and an Anti-Litter Day will be taking place in Witney on Thursday next week, October 26.

The campaign has been launched after Witney mayor, Chrissie Curry, was quoted in the Gazette earlier this year saying she was so incensed with litter bugs blighting the streets she felt like picking up the mess and dumping it in their homes.

Speaking this week, Ms Curry said: "Recently, I saw a group of lads drinking two cases of strong lager in the town. They were all off their faces, and the litter they left, bottles and paper, was awful.

"We want people to realise the extent of the problem, and that they can each make a difference by putting litter in bins, or taking it home to recycle. The campaign message is clear: Litter it's in your hands."

Councillor David Harvey

"The Gazette has been fabulous in printing the posters, and I want them put up all over the town."

Ms Curry said she wants to encourage town businesses to sponsor litter bins, and wants takeaways to take responsibility for their rubbish.

She said: "I don't want them to say it is their customers' responsibility, they have a duty of care, and we have got such a lovely town."

Gazette editor, Derek Holmes, said: "We are delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile cause.

"It is so important to back a campaign which will make for a cleaner West Oxfordshire."

In August, Ms Curry said she would launch a campaign to clean up Witney town centre.

Over the past two years, the district council has, on average, picked up 1,350 tonnes of litter across the area per year.

Every week, the council's street cleaners collect an average 200 bin bags full of litter in Witney alone.

On Thursday next week, people will see street performers wearing litter-themed costumes, and known as rubbish heads, to grab people's attention, and send out a hard-hitting anti-litter message.

The events will also include street sweeps by groups from across the town.

Councillor David Harvey, WODC cabinet member for environment, said: "The council employs five full-time staff, who work 364 days a year keeping Witney free of litter, and spends hundreds of thousands of pounds every year keeping the district's streets clean.

"We want people to realise the extent of the problem, and that they can each make a difference by putting litter in bins, or taking it home to recycle. The campaign message is clear: Litter it's in your hands."

Anyone interested in getting involved with the anti-litter campaign, or litter picking, can contact Ms Curry, by calling Witney Town Council, on 01993 704379.