A COUNCILLOR has blasted the people in Blackburn with Darwen in a row about litter.

Veteran Lib Dem Paul Browne made the comments as town hall bosses admitted an overhaul of street cleaning had made the problem worse.

Since May, there have been changes to cleaning rotas, with 10 litter-pickers being replaced with street-sweeping machines in a cost-saving measure.

But this has led to some streets being missed out and areas not being cleaned because the machines cannot get access.

Opposition Labour councillors slammed the move during a furious debate at the council, leading Coun Browne to say the people who littered should be held responsible.

He said: “I think it’s disgusting that you’re blaming the state of our streets on the council.

“It’s the people of this borough that are to blame for dropping litter.

“They are dirty sods, to tell the truth.”

Blackburn with Darwen council leader Michael Lee said his colleague’s comments had been “a bit strong” but people should not drop litter.

He adding that most people were responsible, it was just an inconsiderate minority.

Council bosses have insisted the overall picture for littering has been improving over the past few years, despite the borough still being ranked “unsatisfactory” by the Government.

But they have admitted there have been “teething problems” with the new cleaning regime, with some parts of the borough missed out and machines unable to clean in the “nooks and crannies” next to parked cars.

The street cleaning department is also bracing itself for a surge in rubbish over the next few weeks as people go out enjoying the sunshine leave behind large amounts of food and drink wrappers.

Labour Mill Hill councillor Jim Smith said: “It’s horrendous. I have had three complaints yesterday alone. They got rid of the litter pickers and have made the problem worse.

“It’s sweet wrappers, tin cans, everything. This is the worst it’s been in a long time.”

According to the latest government survey of residents, just over 51 per cent of people in Blackburn with Darwen are “very or fairly satisfied” with the council’s record on keeping public land clear of litter and refuse.

In Hyndburn this figure was about 47 per cent, and it was just under 67 per cent in Ribble Valley.

Coun Alan Cottam, the Tory executive member for regeneration, which includes street cleaning, said that he carried a whistle around which he blew at anyone he spotted dropping litter, demanding they pick it up.

He said the ploy “often worked” because litterbugs were so embarrassed.

Asked about the current situation, he said: “I would say the problem is getting worse.”

“We do get a lot of litter. We are a scruffy bunch. We are looking at an efficiency drive by covering more distance by using mechanised sweepers, but the trouble is if something is missed on two consecutive trips it becomes a mess.

“But it’s not satisfactory for someone to drop litter and think ‘that’s making a job for someone’. It’s a ridiculous attitude because it’s a burden on the public purse.

“We have always had the machines but now we are using them twice as much. They cover a vast area but only clean between the wheels. It is under review. We are not so arrogant that we say we have a solution that suits everyone.”

Street cleaners traditionally follow one day behind refuse collectors, but the new rota has changed this pattern in some areas. Council bosses said this would be rectified next month.

The council added that overall it was hitting its monthly targets on keeping the streets clean, with inspectors from Keep Britain Tidy about to begin a three-week assessment.

Dickie Felton, from Keep Britain Tidy, said: "The North West suffers from more litter problems than anywhere else in the country. Councils are working hard to tackle the problem.

"Yes, councils need to make sure bins are emptied on time and litter is picked up but it's also about personal responsibility too.

"People should not drop litter in the first place."