THE bins of Barnoldswick will keep overflowing unless more boots are put on the ground to tidy the town, according to two local councillors.

Last week, councillors Maureen Davies and Jenny Purcell protested to Pendle Borough Council over waste collection services.

They say the problems include overflowing litter and dog bins, waste left over from recycling collections and inadequate street cleaning.

This week, the pair met up with council street cleaners to see them in action, but they claim more investment and more money is needed after finding bins overflowing with dog excrement, schoolchildren casually discarding litter and waste-covered grass verges which workers avoid due to safety concerns.

Pendle Borough Council says it has invested an extra £250,000 in cleaning services and will send a small roadsweeper to clean several areas in the town once a fortnight. The route covered includes parts of Gisburn Road, Skipton Road and most streets in the town centre.

An operations manager added that a larger machine would be cleaning the roads in surrounding areas on a regular basis.

However, Coun Purcell says it is nowhere near enough and also singled out areas outside council control, such as the grass around the West Craven Sports Centre, on Kelbrook Road, as in need of improvement.

Coun Purcell said: "For three years we've been trying to get something done about this and get proper bins.

"If visitors drive into Barnoldswick along Kelbrook Road, or if there's a swimming competition on, what are they going to think?

"It's 2006 not 1906 - we need to get it sorted out. The bosses at the council want to come back onto the shop floor and see if they can do the same work as the one bloke who's supposed to sweep the whole town."

Coun Davies said: "A lot of people have been coming up to us after last week to give their support."

She added: "We also need to get more PCSOs (police community support officers) out fining people for dropping litter and get the problem at the source."

A resident of Kelbrook Road agreed.

He said: "All the kids around here aren't bad, don't get me wrong, but I feel sorry for the chap who has to clean it all up. It's such a lovely environment and they're making a mess of it.

"I've seen them throw bottles at him as he's picking other litter up and if you say anything to them you get a mouthful of abuse."