Bath city centre will receive a boost of £40,000 for a major clean-up. The council is acting after listening to complaints from residents about the state of the city centre.

For the next six weeks, B&NES Council’s cleansing team will provide extended periods of cleaning and washing, from early in the morning until late into the evening, including weekends. More staff will be brought in to pick up litter, empty litter bins and wash streets.

Councillor Dave Wood (Lib-Dem, Mendip), cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “The new council administration is taking action after listening to complaints by residents of dirty, rubbish-strewn streets and over-flowing bins in our historic city centre. When I took over the role of cabinet member for Neighbourhoods after the local election in May, I said I would address this issue that has been neglected for too long.

“We need to ensure that Bath is clean and inviting for residents and visitors all year round, but in these summer months, when the city is busy and hot and dry, extra cleansing is needed.

“Our staff work hard to keep the streets clean, but we all need to play our part and we will continue to work to address the underlying problems that cause litter and fly-tipping across the whole of B&NES.

“We still urge people to dispose of their litter properly or take it home, and we will continue to issue fixed penalty notices where deliberate environmental crime is committed, but our team will also be working even harder to keep the city a welcoming place to be.”