A NEW campaign has been launched to clean up community spaces in Radcliffe.

The Radcliffe Labour group launched their Keep Radcliffe Tidy campaign on Saturday with a clean-up session at Radcliffe Library in Stand Lane.

Councillors and community activists were in attendance to help clear the area of litter, and the group are now encouraging local residents to join the campaign and send in requests for areas they want to see improved.

Sharon Briggs, councillor for Radcliffe North, said: "It was a great day and we removed a lot of rubbish. Due to Tory Government cutbacks and the effect this has had on the council's budget, the council cannot take responsibility for clearing up every piece of rubbish.

"We want to work with local communities to clean up grot spots. Our message is clear - if you see a piece of rubbish on your street, but even if you didn't drop it, pick it up and put it in the bin. That is the only way to keep Radcliffe tidy."

Local resident Rhyse Cathcart joined in the campaign launch and echoed calls for the people of Radcliffe to take action in cleaning up their streets.

He said: "It is really important that we do all we can to keep Radcliffe looking good clean and tidy. A lot of the rubbish you see on the streets is there as a result of people littering. I spoke to a number of residents on nearby streets like Irwell Street and Bridge Close who complained about the litter near the library and so we decided to take action."

To get involved in the Keep Radcliffe Tidy project and to make suggestions for areas that should be cleaned up, people can e-mail burysouthlp@gmail.com