A new city centre cleaning regime has been introduced by City of York Council to speed up responses to litter and debris problems.

The council has responded to public criticism of the city centre service by overhauling equipment and working practices as part of the new summer city cleansing service.

The ten-strong city centre team operates within the City Walls and the Inner Ring Road daily between 5.30am and 7pm, seven days a week but has now been re-launched with new uniforms and equipment - including a mobile 'phone link to speed up response times.

Although it began last month (April), the new summer regime was formally unveiled today (Thursday, May 2) when the cleaning team met at Deangate near the Minster to show off the new equipment and uniforms to residents and visitors alike.

Councillor Derek Smallwood, the council's executive member for the environment, said, "We have been reviewing the way we operate and have made some important changes to ensure the city can be kept as clean as possible within the available resources.

"We have been looking at the way other cities operate and, while the service we previously provided contributed to several successes in clean city awards, we are introducing changes to try to achieve a greater measure of consistency."

The council's city cleansing team have recently been issued with new, distinctive uniform and are also operating from new cleaning trolleys - all fully equipped to deal with every cleansing contingency from weeds to the most unpleasant waste materials.

They are also contactable by mobile 'phone and radio via the city centre manager's office and can be deployed instantaneously as and when directed to any unforeseen cleaning problem.

Paul Thackray, the council's head of client and city centre services, said, "We are keen to highlight the improvements and our new fully-adaptable service which will enable us to deal more efficiently and more quickly with various types of waste including horse droppings which has been one particular source of concern."

The council is re-introducing sweeping barrows to city streets for the first time in 15 years following the review and a team leaders' visit to Leeds.

Mr Thackray said, "There we were able to see the barrow system working very effectively with brushes, shovels, pans and a whole range of other equipment easily transported and therefore ready at hand and removing the need to carry a heavy scoop and brush, and to walk long distances when an operation requires different equipment."

Cleansing service foreman Paul Willey welcomed the changes. He said, "We all care very much about our jobs and keeping the city centre clean - it is York's shop window and we are proud of it. We are all keen to make the new system work."

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