A CITY suburb which residents say has been made messy by students has been targeted by street sweepers.
The 20-strong team of council workers descended on to Arnold Street, Lloyd Street and Howe Street in Mackworth to deep-clean the area after requests from residents.
The action was part of the Take Pride in Your Street scheme, which aims to tackle hotspots in areas across the city where there are issues affecting the road.
The campaign started on three streets in Normanton and moved on to tackle Mackworth yesterday.
Mackworth ward councillor Paul Pegg said, although the city council had tried to tell students who live in the area which bins are used for which waste, the area still experienced problems with litter on the streets.
He said: "We've emptied all the bins, unblocked drains, cleaned the gullies along the street, filled potholes and removed graffiti. There is an issue in the area with students who only live there temporarily.
"We give them plenty of leaflets to tell them about how the systems work but the area still looks quite messy.
"We're really hoping the people in the area keep it clean from now on. This is a kick-start for them."
Sharon Wilkins, who has lived in Arnold Street for 12 years, said the clean-up had been welcomed by residents.
The 40-year-old said: "The area has got worse since I first moved there. I have got nothing against students but it has become very messy.
"The clean-up has made a huge difference. Us residents do our bit but there is only so much you can do.
"I work for a student letting agent and we tell them how to use the different bins, but it doesn't seem to work.
"It would be really nice if the streets stayed this clean and tidy. It looks so much better."
Councillor Ranjit Banwait, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and Streetpride, said: "Feedback from local residents across the city has been that they want to support their communities to take positive action to improve their areas.
"This is a great way to work together. It also creates a strong community spirit and gives our neighbourhoods a real boost."
