The people of Bradford have given the launch of a Litter Awareness Week their seal of approval.

Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Harry Mason kicked off the LAW campaign, a joint initiative between the Telegraph & Argus and Bradford Council, at a BinIt! roadshow in Centenary Square.

In his opening speech Coun Mason told a crowd gathered in the square that Bradfordians had a lovely city centre with large pedestrian area which they should be proud of.

He stressed it was everyone's responsibility to keep it clear of rubbish as "Litter didn't make itself" and urged people to use the 300 litter bins situated throughout the city.

Coun Mason said: "I think the launch has been a success. The people who turned up seemed very enthusiastic about the campaign. Let's hope we can keep the enthusiasm going all this week and beyond."

The Deputy Lady Mayoress Councillor Christine Mason added her support and said even if people couldn't find a litter bin they should keep hold of their rubbish until they got home and then put it in a bin.

As well as preaching the BinIt! message the roadshow, which will be in Shipley's Market Square today, puts on educational games for kids with T-shirts, caps and key-rings as prizes as well as lots of free Coke to drink.

Young mums Sarah Whitcombe, 19, and Nicola Nicholes, 18, both from Lidget Green, said they fully supported the campaign and would be passing its message down to their children.

Sarah, who has a one-year-old daughter Chantelle, said: "There's a lot of places in Bradford which are full of litter. I think this campaign is a good idea because kids are going to grow up knowing that it's wrong to just throw rubbish on the floor."

Her friend Nicola, whose baby boy Cameron is only three-months-old, said: "I'm fed up of treading in rotting rubbish and chewing gum. I'll be telling Cameron when he's old that rubbish goes in the bin."

Father Philip Payne, 30, from Thorpe Edge, echoed her words and said it was a good idea to target kids.

He said: ""I think it's mainly kids who drop a lot although it can be adults who are guilty too. I've got a son Philip, he's two, and I'll teach him to put all his litter in the bin. Even when he's at home now if he sees litter on the floor he automatically picks it up and puts it in the bin."

Dawn Mayo, 34, from Buttershaw, said both her children Lucy, 5, and Raymond, 3, were already good at putting litter away in the proper places.

She said: "It's people who cause the litter problem and where I live it's really bad. I always encourage my kids to throw away their litter in the bin and I think the campaign's a very good idea. Hopefully people will take note."

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