A SUNDERLAND councillor is getting her hands dirty in a quest to tackle Washington West’s litter louts.
Councillor Fiona Miller has led the latest monthly clean-up walk in Barmston, picking up rubbish left on the street or that has fallen from bins during collection, as well as backing a tidy up of West Bridge Street, by Mount Pleasant’s resident’s association, that also saw bulbs planted to brighten up the area.
The Washington East Labour councillor has also attended an Environment Agency meeting, where illegal waste removal companies were discussed, and is working with Keep Washington Tidy to tackle litter dropped by students in the area.
Councillor Miller said: “Litter is a challenge that we can only resolve by getting to the root of the problem. There is some fantastic work going on across communities to keep the city clean and tidy, but, ultimately nobody should be picking up someone else’s rubbish.
“Whether those responsible are throwing one piece of litter, or they’re operating illegal waste removal services, this creates a huge challenge for not only the council – which ultimately has to clean it up – but communities, that are blighted by this problem.”
The council recently introduced tougher measures to tackle the Sunderland’s litter louts and deliver a cleaner city for residents.
Councillor Miller added: “We’re determined, as a council, to stamp out litter, and people who continue to leave their rubbish on our streets instead of taking it home or place it in one of the many bins in the area should know that we’re clamping down and it simply won’t be tolerated.”