The streets of south Norfolk have become cleaner in the last year thanks to a litter crackdown. Every year South Norfolk Council examines 900 street sites for litter and detritus and reports the findings to the Audit Commission.

The streets of south Norfolk have become cleaner in the last year thanks to a litter crackdown.

Every year South Norfolk Council examines 900 street sites for litter and detritus and reports the findings to the Audit Commission.

Last year five per cent of these sites had unacceptable levels of litter and 23pc had unacceptable levels of detritus, but this year the figures fell to four per cent for litter and 12pc for detritus.

The council says the turnaround is thanks to its new flying squad of street cleaners who tour the district every day, responding to incidents. The street cleaners are part of a much bigger environmental crime team, which also tackles graffiti and fly tipping.

The council says the crackdown, which has won the support of author Bill Bryson, president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, took off after it brought all its services under one internal service group.

The authority then invested over £500,000, providing training for staff and rebranding them the 'environmental crime team' and giving them new vehicles, uniforms and equipment, including a grabber to pick up fridges and other bulky fly-tipped waste.

The team also got high-pressure washers to tackle graffiti - a new service launched by South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon.

Now the council has invested in CCTV for use at fly-tip hot spots and is currently preparing its first fly-tipping prosecution.

David Bills, the council's cabinet member for the environment, will deliver his report to the council's annual meeting on Monday. Anyone who wants to report litter or fly tipping in the district should call the council's freephone number, 0808 168 2999.