Become a Doncaster community champion to crackdown on litter

Residents in areas blighted by rubbish are being asked to volunteer as community champions as part of a council campaign to tackle the issue.

More than 20,000 residents complain about the state of Doncaster’s streets each year.

But council bosses say they need people to step up and help them make a real difference.

Coun Chris McGuinness, cabinet member for environment, said: “We want to put local people at the heart of the ‘This is my Doncaster’ campaign, by having real residents on the promotional posters as well as finding out about the key issues that really matter to them.

“If you want to get involved and help us make Doncaster a nicer place to live, just get in touch.”

The new ‘This is My…’ campaign aims to encourage residents to take pride in where they live and take responsibility for keeping it clean.

Nigel Cannings, who has been picking litter and tidying up after irresponsible dog owners in Tickhill for almost three years on a voluntary basis, has stepped up to become a community champion.

Nigel said: “I am proud of the work I have done around Tickhill over the past few years.

“This is a great village and we don’t need litter and dog muck ruining it.”

As well as blighting the lives of residents the problem is also putting a large dent in the council’s budget with £500,000 spent on disposing of fly-tipped waste last year alone.

The Star is putting the borough’s grot spots under the spotlight with a series of stories in an effort to help crack down on the problem.

n Email [email protected] or send a tweet to @MyDoncaster for details on the campaign or to find out more about becoming a community champion.

n Litter ruining city: P10/11