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Making a clean sweep of streets

Eve Dugdale
2/ 7/2008

NEAT lawns and flowerpots bursting with bright blooms would be nothing if they were littered with rubbish.

That’s why Tameside’s Clean Sweep team are so important to the council’s bid for the Britain In Bloom Best-Kept Large City category.

Just seven men are responsible for keeping the borough clean of litter. Equipped with a specially-designed vehicle, the team visits each of the 19 wards for a day every other week.

Andy Locke has worked for Clean Sweep for two-and-a-half years and says each day is different.

"I enjoy it because I can get out and about, it’s all different wards and all different people," he said.

"I suppose the most frustrating aspect is going to clean an area and doing a really good job, then going back there and seeing it the same as it was.

"The Bubblegum machine, that’s a really hard job to do as well, clearing chewing gum off the floor. We have stuff thrown at us sometimes as well.

"Once someone threw a can of coke at me half full and we have people drop litter in front of us. It’s sad to see people with that sort of attitude.

"Doing the areas is enjoyable though — looking back once you’ve done it makes you feel proud. You get a lot of comments too, people come out of their houses and thank us, that’s nice.

"They say there should be more of us doing it and we tell them there’s only seven of us and we do the whole of Tameside."

Despite many saying littering has got worse, Andy says the problem has stayed the same.

"It’s a habit. Where you have people you’ll have litter. They’ve brought new laws in but it’s a case of education and parenting, my dad always put his litter in his pocket and brought it home and I do the same.

"My kids are the same - I pull everything out of their pockets before they go in the wash!"