Litter wardens take to the streets

Councillor William Hobhouse (Rochdale township chairman) with new enforcement wardens Matt Hopley (left) and Andy Edwards (right).

Rochdale’s streets now have two extra members of staff dedicated to taking action against people who drop litter.

Two new enforcement wardens have been employed to cover the Rochdale township area after people said they wanted more action against those who leave their rubbish in the street.

It is hoped the wardens will be a visible deterrent so that people think twice about dropping litter or allowing their dogs to foul without picking it up. People who are caught committing either offence could be given a fine of up to £75.

Councillor William Hobhouse, chairman of the Rochdale township, which is funding the extra wardens, said: “This shows that we are serious about tackling litter across Rochdale. If you drop rubbish in the street there’ll now be a better chance you’ll be caught and fined. We want to see more people taking responsibility for their actions and helping to make their neighbourhood cleaner.

“Local people told us that they thought there needed to be more resources put into tackling litter and cleaning up their area, so that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re also very keen to let people have a say in how money is spent in their community – this scheme is a perfect example of how we’ve responded to the concerns of residents.”