A RALLYING call has gone out to County Durham residents to get involved in a big clean-up operation this spring.

For the ninth year running Litter Free Durham is launching its Big Spring Clean campaign and is calling on County Durham and Darlington residents to do their bit.

Since Litter Free Durham was formed in 2007 the group has helped communities clear tonnes of rubbish from their neighbourhoods and has educated 9,500 schoolchildren on the environmental dangers associated with littering.

Group chairman, and Darlington councillor, Gerald Lee, is passionate about the cause and is urging as many people as possible to join the clean-up campaign.

He said: “In 2007 local authorities alone spent £584million keeping our streets clean, which is an astronomical amount of money.

“In 2012 that had almost doubled.

“The question the councils and the public have got to ask is if we are going to keep our streets clean, the money has either got to come from increases in council tax or robbing it from other sources of income within the budget set by the local authorities, which at this time (of austerity) is no good.

“So we either put up, shut up or do something. It is as simple as that.”

Cllr Lee said that rubbish always appeared at the top of residents’ complaints to parish councils across the region and it can negatively affect tourism and business in our towns.

“You don’t want visitors to Darlington, or anywhere, coming away thinking what a dirty place it is,” said Cllr Lee.

“And if people are looking to set up a new business and the verges along the roads on the way to their potential new office or factory are looking awful because of litter, it doesn’t help.

“I know litter isn’t the be all and end all, but if we are trying to encourage people to move into the area with their families, or to come and visit, then how clean a place is an important factor that leaves a lasting impression.”

Litter Free Durham is supported byCounty Durham and Darlington councils and the Environment Agency, with workers tidying up parts of the rivers Skerne and Wear at the same time as the campaign.

Councils also provide litter picking equipment and collect bags of waste gathered by residents.

The campaign runs from February 28 to April 18 and Darlington residents who want to organise litter picks should email litterfreedurham@darlington.gov.uk or telephone 01325-406648 and County Durham residents can contact litterfreedurham@durham.gov.uk or call 03000-261000.