A CLEAN-UP campaign in Weymouth and Portland has been welcomed by councillors.

A ‘Pride in the Borough’ initiative, as reported in yesterday's Echo, has received backing from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's Management Committee.

Work will include clearing the streets of chewing gum and cleansing Park District alleyways.

Councillors also discussed the possibility of employing street wardens to target litterbugs, and agreed to investigate the matter further.

Pride in the Borough has come about following a motion from Cllr Mike Byatt, and concerns raised by other members.

Cllr Byatt said: “This is a very positive step. As a council we want to be seen as making a difference in the borough.

“We need to make practical decisions that are backed by actions that are not going to be too expensive. We want to promote a positive message to our community that we should be proud of the borough in which we work and live.”

Mayor Christine James, said: “Our street wardens will need to be strict and enforce penalty charges. I am not talking about people asking nicely. Unless we grab the bull by its horns it will not be successful.

“The leaflets people put on cars is also an issue. They are actually creating more waste as people drive off and they just fly into the streets.”

However Cllr Jason Osborne argued that wardens could be detrimental to the town’s tourism.

He said: “If we hit tourists hard with fines it will have an impact on tourism in the borough.”