'Have pride in our city' - 12 things you said about Sunderland's deep clean as work gets underway

Echo reporter Kevin Clark takes part in the deep clean.

This week saw the launch of a programme of deep clean work, which coincides with Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean initiative.

Organised by Sunderland City Council and Sunderland BID, the work will include washing bins and street furniture, clearing litter and cigarette ends and working with business owners on shop entrances and shutters.

Around 70 volunteers are supporting the work and giving their time to it.

On our Facebook page, Echo readers called on their fellow residents to help keep the city tidy, and argued that this sort of in-depth cleaning would not be necessary if everyone picked up their own litter.

Others have urged the council to carry out such work more often, and extend the programme of cleaning to other areas of Wearside.

The council has invested £460,000 in its frontline environmental services, with a chunk of this going towards the deep clean work.

Clean-up work has been taking place in the city centre.

Funding for the campaign is also coming from he Government’s High Street Community Clean Up Fund.

Here is how you reacted on the Sunderland Echo Facebook page:

Lynne Aubrey: "Before we all get on our high horse regarding the council keeping Sunderland tidy, we should look at what we as residents should be doing. Have pride in our city!

"Yes we need more development, but even with that if we have no pride and continue to litter its going to make very little difference to how it looks."

Almost 70 volunteers are taking part in the work.

Aimee Jenkinson: "It's people's responsibility to keep it that way. Litter everywhere you go! Yes there's a shortage of bins in certain places ... take your little home!"

Scott Metcalfe: "Streets shouldn't need a deep clean, should be clean all the time."

Dave Ridley: "It will take more than a pressure washer to clean this place up."

Hank Witherspoon: "Nee good doing it once in a blue moon."

Kevin Shaw: "Need a crack down on people throwing McDonald’s and other takeaway rubbish on the ground."

Denis Heskett: "When you go abroad this happens every night, cleaning the streets."

Simon Pete Moss: "Can we have a clean up of litter and fly tipping, particularly around the edges of Sunderland Central, perhaps carried out as unpaid work /community service by non-custodial offenders?"

Kathleen McFarlane: "Clean estates would be nice too - can't go for a walk without having to dodge the dog mess."

Billy Morrison: "The whole city streets need cleaning it's a damn disgrace."

John Purvis: "What about the outlying areas, Houghton, Hetton, etc - we pay but get [nothing] done."

Ian Ryan: "I would rather see more shops open and people using the city centre than someone in a hi-vis with a jet wash!"