Litter clear-ups 'not good enough'

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By Tom Warren BBC News, Oldbury Oldbury is one of six main towns which make up the borough of Sandwell

Half of England's district councils are failing to clear enough litter from their streets, a government commissioned report has found.

While many were judged 'unsatisfactory', Sandwell, in the West Midlands, was one of only three to be given the lowest 'poor' rating.

Landlord Andrew Gale is fed up with piles of rubbish being strewn around his pub.

The 46-year-old runs the Waggon and Horses, in Oldbury, Sandwell - a borough which report author Keep Britain Tidy claims has a serious litter problem.

On many occasions I've seen the bins overflowing and I think things have got a lot worse Andrew Gale, landlord

Sandwell, along with Knowsley, in Liverpool, and Wigan were judged to be the worst performing councils at cleaning up street waste, according to the newly published report.

The survey of all 353 district councils in England was carried out for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) between April 2006 and March 2008.

"On many occasions I've seen the bins overflowing and I think things have got a lot worse," Mr Gale said.

Andrew Gale says bins in Oldbury should be emptied more often

"To be honest, when people see rubbish they add to it, they think why should I be careful when everyone else is throwing it on the floor?

"I think more daily cleaning of the area is needed."

Mr Gale believes the council has cut back on street cleaning and is instead spending more money trying to educate people against dropping cans, cigarette ends and chip wrappers.

£75 fine

There is certainly no shortage of warning signs plastered on bins and lampposts around Oldbury.

Each warns of a £75 fine if people are caught discarding their rubbish on the streets.

Keep Britain Tidy took nearly two years to survey all England's 353 district councils between 2006 and 2008.

Sandwell was inspected in 2006. But have things got any better since then?

Shirley and Joanne Paskin, from West Bromwich, said rubbish was still a big problem near their homes.

Mr Barnett says inspectors called on a bad day

"It's terrible round by where we live, the bins are always full, they are never emptied," Shirley Paskin, 54, said.

Childminder Terri McNally, 45, who lives on the edge of Oldbury, said she thought discarded rubbish was a growing problem everywhere.

"There is a fair amount of litter [in Oldbury], I think it's about the same as in recent years.

"Britain on the whole is absolutely rubbish at clearing up its rubbish."

'Unfair on town'

But not everyone agrees.

The Reverend Canon John Barnett, Priest in charge of Christ Church in Oldbury, said it was unfair to single out Sandwell.

"I think [the council] do their best, if you look around now it's not that bad," the 56-year-old said.

"I think the inspectors must have just caught them on a bad day.

"And I wouldn't want Oldbury to be thought of like that.

"It's a nice place with a lot going for it and it would be a shame if that tag were to stick."

Sandwell Council says more people are now using bins

Sandwell Council said it had taken a number of steps to clean up its act.

Wardens have handed out about 2,000 fixed penalty fines for dropping litter since August 2006.

And earlier this year more than 3,500 volunteers took part in a "big spring clean" event to pick up rubbish in more than 100 locations.

"There's no question of us shying away from the situation, but for every remaining grot spot we could also take you to lovely neighbourhoods and show you places where a dramatic difference has been made," a spokeswoman said.