Back lane patrols to tackle rubbish

Northumbria Police and Newcastle City Council will increase patrols in back lanes

Police and council patrols will be increased in parts of a city to tackle litter and fly-tipping.

A task force has been set up to try and rid Newcastle's West End of the piles of rubbish dumped in back lanes.

Overflowing bins, fly-tipping, bin raiders and rat infestations in the area have been the subject of many complaints over the years.

Northumbria Police and Newcastle City Council hope the action will result in more culprits being caught and better education about the problem.

The task force is part of a wider Empowering People in Communities (EPiC) programme that has specifically targeted locations, including Walker, Elswick and West Denton, in an effort to combat waste, graffiti, anti-social behaviour, substance abuse, crime and deprivation.

However, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a £1.5m funding pot used to set up that initiative is due to run out in March and it is unclear whether the scheme will be able to continue.

Past measures to try and deal with litter in the West End have included switching from communal to individual household bins, installing CCTV and bollards blocking vehicles accessing some back lanes.

Councillor Irim Ali, cabinet member responsible for local services, said: "We encourage all of our communities to support us by disposing of waste correctly and reporting any issues in their area.

"By working together we can make the city one where everyone can feel proud to live."