CLEAN-UP campaigners have declared war on town centre muck by calling in help from some "heavy artillery."

Pendle Council's Nelson area committee has invested in a "gum blaster" cleaning machine to give stone setts in the pedestrian precinct a spring clean.

Staff will be busy throughout this month blasting away chewing gum, moss and other grime with a water jet.

Coun Colin Waite, chairman of the area committee, said: "We decided to invest in a clean-up of the centre to make it a more attractive place. This machine will be in use to the end of the month to blast away all the muck that's accumulated and hopefully by the end of it local people will see the difference."

Meanwhile, the council has called on any organisations interested in taking part in the National Spring Clean campaign to get in touch. Clean-ups will be held next month and the authority has promised to help.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.