BLITZING the streets of Buckskin - that was the goal of a special drive to target litter, fly-tipping and graffiti in the Basingstoke suburb.

More than two tons of rubbish was collected in a few hours on Tuesday as residents joined Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's Streetcare team for the community clean-up.

Councillor Sean Keating, Cabinet member for communities and regeneration, was among those to pull on the rubber gloves to work with the road sweepers and graffiti-cleansing units.

Cllr Keating said: "This is all about the council dedicating its street-cleaning resources in a real effort to get Buckskin cleaned up, getting residents involved and showing them how the area can be improved.

"It is hoped that once it is clean, and residents have got involved in the process, they will want to keep it clean.

"It's about taking pride in our communities and also about reporting instances of graffiti and fly-tipping. Graffiti, fly-tipping and littering are offences that we take seriously and, with the right information, we can take action."

Emma Broom, head of the borough council's Streetcare team, said: "We had 30 members of the Streetcare team hitting the area with a deep clean, and this will make future maintenance easier."

Speaking on Tuesday, Clive Fortune, community warden for Buckskin and Kempshott, said: "The best part about today is seeing the place tidied up, and seeing so many people, including residents, working together to achieve this goal."

Anyone who wishes to report a graffiti, fly-tipping or litter problem can contact the borough council on 01256 844844.

First published: Thursday, November 24, 2005