COUNCIL bosses have been getting their hands dirty by collecting more than 120 bags of litter during a borough-wide clean-up operation.

Officers and councillors at Rossendale Council, including chief executive Helen Lockwood and council leader Alyson Barnes, took to the streets as part of the Big Litter Pick 2013.

Seventeen volunteers took part in the spring cleaning project, which targeted 25 rubbish hotspots across the Valley.

The team found items like car parts, household goods, a tricycle and odd shoes at sites including Bocholt Way in Rawtenstall, Alma Street, Bacup, Healey Corner in Whitworth, Huttock End Lane, Stacksteads, and Laburnum Street and Parkinson Street, Haslingden.

Organiser Catherine Price said: “By taking a few hours out of the day to pick litter, all the volunteers have made a real difference to the cleanliness of the borough and improved our local environment. I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work and I would urge all residents to help keep Rossendale clean by disposing of their litter responsibly.”