"WE'RE battling against the tide but things are improving all the time."
That is the message from North East Lincolnshire Councillor Darren Billard as the Tidy Up Together campaign, in conjunction with the Grimsby Telegraph, gathers momentum.
But council bosses have stressed that residents have to take responsibility for their own alleyways, which are being cleared as a one-off.
The team gave the area around Elsenham Road, off Pyewipe Road in Grimsby, a "thorough cleanse" on Wednesday but did bemoan the amount of fly-tipping.
"We are battling against the tide, but it's looking good and things are improving all the time," said Councillor Billard, Labour Councillor for the West Marsh ward, who led the clean-up.
"A lot of time and money is being invested into the project to make things better.
"Historically, this area has seen a lot of fly-tipping, we have just found a load of tyres that have been dumped behind a house.
"Clearly that is not the resident of that house going through all of them, someone else has brought them here.
"Things like that are a blight on residents and we are trying to blitz problem areas, but we are relying on people telling us where those areas are.
"The work we are doing is certainly having a positive impact on the community."
If fly-tipping is occurring, and there is enough evidence, the council can take enforcement action. But if the council cannot identify an individual responsible, all residents of adjoining properties may be held collectively responsible.
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Councillor Ray Oxby, portfolio holder for environment and housing, said: "We're providing this service as an absolute one-off as part of the Tidy Up Together campaign.
"But the campaign itself is going well, we have had tremendous support from the community with schools and community groups getting involved.
"It is making a big difference, this is a thorough cleanse and we want to ask people to take responsibility for their own premises, side streets and alleyways.
"Hopefully our project will act as a stimulus for people to take up the initiative."
If you wish to volunteer to help keep your community tidy, call 01472 324500 or e-mail customerrequests@nelincs.gov.uk
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