A few weeks ago civic leaders sprang to Bradford's defence after national newspaper columnist Lynda Lee-Potter visited the city and complained bitterly about the amount of litter on the streets. They were right to challenge her savaging of Bradford as a "vile and nasty" place. We do not need that sort of publicity on the national stage.

However, citizens of Bradford are well enough aware of the truth, which is that while our city has much to commend it, it does have its unpleasant side - notably that the centre and, to a greater degree, some of the major routes into it often look filthy and litter-strewn.

The Council has made efforts to improve the situation, and the "Bin It" campaign backed by the T&A last year is an example of what can be achieved. But there needs to be a far greater effort on a larger scale if Bradford is to rid itself of the unsightly mess which depresses residents every day as well as affronting visitors.

So it is right that Bradford Retail Action Group (BRAG), in its response to the district's Community Plan, has highlighted litter as one of the key issues to be tackled. It also identifies many other areas for improvement, including discouraging beggars and replacing the outdated CCTV system.

But there is no doubt that tidying up the rubbish which sprawls beneath our feet, while at the same time trying, yet again, to persuade the people of Bradford not to drop it, would be an excellent way to start to make a visit to the city centre a more pleasant experience.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.