A COUNCILLOR has urged people to take their little home instead of leaving it on top of overflowing bins.

Heighington and Coniscliffe councillor Gerald Lee has urged people to keep streets clean and take litter home with them following the cancellation of Litter Free Durham's Big Spring Clean, whereby volunteers clean up their communities.

While thanking people who turn out to litter pick, Cllr Lee said: "Many will be disappointed and angry when they give their time to keep highways and byways clean, when too many thoughtless people overfill a litter bin often to the point that it overflows and ends up on the ground.

"With our Street Scene teams being very stretched because of the coronavirus pandemic, it could be some time before the bins are emptied."

The councillor warns litter will attract rats given the "free food left for them to thrive on".

"We should give more thought to and respect all of our Street Scene people, who do a marvellous job cleaning our streets," he added.