Clever phones help council clean up (From The Northern Echo)

Clever phones help council clean up

4:37pm Sunday 28th March 2010 in

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RESIDENTS have been urged to take advantage of a new mobile phone application which allows members of the public to instantly notify a council about litter, fly tipping and graffiti.

Internet enabled phones can be used to send photographs to the Town Hall to alert officers about incidents which need to be addressed.

Conservative Councillor Gill Cartwright discovered the system when she got a new iPhone.

She used the Love Clean Streets application to tell Darlington Borough Council staff about some graffiti in her ward at Harrowgate Hill.

“I like the community to be kept clean and tidy, so I thought I’d give it a try,” she said.

“The council are all set up to use the technology so it worked straight away.

“It is so simple to use. You download the app onto your iPhone or any Windows mobile phone from the apps store.

“You simply take a photo and it locks your position. You then select a category of the complaint and it sends a report to the council. The council can then deal with it.”

The council spends £1.5m a year clearing up after litter louts. Spot fines of up to £75 can be issued to offenders who are caught in the act. People who are involved in fly-tipping or vandalism can find themselves before the courts.

Coun Cartwright said: “This is another way tackle problems like abandoned cars, graffiti or fly tipping.

“You can even report potholes in the road, or cracks in the pavement, which is obviously a big problem at the moment after the winter we just had.”

Coun Cartwright added that the system could be use to get young people to take more pride in their local community.

“It’s a brilliant, innovative way to use technology and I hope it would encourage younger people to get involved,” she said.

“It is also really quick and easy to use. People might often see things when they are out and about, but just not have the time to then phone the council, or send an email. This takes all the hassle out of it because it is instantaneous.”

For more information, visit lovecleanstreets.org.