BUSINESSES are being urged to sponsor new bins in a bid to make it easier for the public to 'thrash the thrash.' Blackburn with Darwen Council has signed a deal with advertising company Trash Media, based in London, which could lead to dozens more litter bins appearing around Blackburn and Darwen.

As part of the deal, Trash Media will approach local companies and ask them to sponsor a bin.

The sponsoring firm gets to advertise itself on the side of the bins, which will be place at locations around Blackburn and Darwen town centre chosen by the council.

Some of new metal bins will replace old ones which are looking shabby, while others will simply be extra to existing ones.

Details of the deal were revealed as the council cranked up its 'Thrash the Trash' campaign, a £1 million drive to improve the look of Blackburn with Darwen.

Council leader Bill Taylor, said: "We want it to be the case that nobody has any excuse for dropping litter and we are determined to 'tidy up the high street' of Blackburn and Darwen, in conjunction with local and national

initiatives.

"Residents and visitors do not want to be greeted by litter-filled streets and I am sure getting back into the habit, as a civic responsibility, of throwing our waste into one of the many town centre bins our borough will become a much more attractive place to be."

Executive member for housing and neighbourhoods Coun Mohammed Khan, said: "I am delighted we are to have additional bins in the town centres.

"We are hoping to educate people to dispose of their litter in a responsible manner and help make the area a place where people want to live, work and visit.

"Some of the older bins have no lids and this means in windy or wet weather the litter tends to get blown about, so these new litter bins will be a great improvement."

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration, added: "Traders in Blackburn with Darwen will have the opportunity of coming on board with Thrash the Trash by advertising in prime locations across the town centres."