It’s a square deal

9:42am Friday 2nd June 2006

CAVENDISH Square is the latest part of Swindon to be hit by the council's clean-up blitz.

Teams of street wardens, junior wardens, housing, environmental health and Police Community Support Officers hit the streets surrounding the square in Walcot, filling bags of rubbish.

The PCSOs handed out notices to the owners of cars parked illegally as well as checking tax discs were up to date.

A Swindon Council spokesman said that the blitz had resulted in more than 20 bags of litter being picked up.

The push also resulted in 42 graffiti tags being removed, 20 larger graffiti designs noted for removal, 11 black bags of fly-tipped rubbish collected, 22 black bags of litter picked up, 28 larger flytipped items removed, six litter warnings given to individuals, 12 dog droppings bags dispensed for future use, eight dog tag issues flagged up with owners, two stray dogs rounded up, and 10 vehicles checked for being abandoned, and five notices put on them warning owners to remove them or else.

Trainee environmental health officer Carla Littler was leading a group of junior wardens in the clean-up.

"Our team has picked up five big bags full," she said. "We also identified bits of graffiti for the graffiti removal van.

"We're cleaning up the neighbourhood and restoring a bit of pride.

"We had 25 people doing it. It's the fourth clean-up we've done."

Last month, the clean-up task force hit the Railway Village.

Operation Safe and Clean has already been carried out in Pinehurst and the Broad Green area.

The joint council, police and fire brigade scheme aims to boost community spirit and inspire the people living there to keep up the good work.

The idea was also to reduce the fear of crime and make people feel safer in their homes.

During the Railway Village clean-up, 270 graffiti tags were removed from walls and signs, as well as the walls along London Street being completely painted over.

Thirty-four bags of litter were picked up by the paperpickers, as well as four lots of bulky rubbish, such as fridges and televisions, being removed.

They also cleared up five needles, and reprimanded one other householder who had been putting needles in his domestic waste. They informed him how to properly dispose of them.

Fire crews and police officers were also on the scene carrying out home safety checks, with 19 people getting smoke alarms fitted and four properties having better security installed.

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