A CRACKDOWN on litter and dog fouling across a borough will continue for the next three years.

Burnley Council appointed private contractor Kingdom environmental services on a 12-month pilot scheme last April.

The council’s executive has now given the go-ahead to a tendering process to ensure the enforcement work continues.

The new contract will run for three years, with an option to extend for a further two.

Kingdom, which also operates in Blackburn and Darwen, has indicated that it wants to win the contract again.

A council spokesman said the procurement process has been set up to put the emphasis on quality of service rather than income generation.

Cllr Lian Pate, executive member for community services, said: “Litter and dog fouling are consistently top priorities when we ask residents how best to improve our borough.

“We introduced enforcement patrols last year after we tried to reduce these anti-social problems through other means.

“They have proved effective and, together with the hard work and support of our partner Urbaser in keeping our streets clean, we are seeing an improvement in certain areas.

“We need to continue to take a pro-active approach and keep up the pressure on the selfish minority who drop rubbish or don’t clean up after their dog without a care for anyone else.

“That kind of anti-social behaviour needs to be challenged and changed.

“The pilot scheme has brought positive results, it needs to continue so we can all walk our streets and parks without having to dodge dog mess or discarded litter.”

Burnley Council’s tendering process will start later this month with bids in by early April.

The new contract will come into operation from June.

A Kingdom spokesman said: “We are very pleased with the way the pilot has gone working in partnership with Burnley Council to make a cleaner and greener environment.

“We hope to be successful in the tender and continuing our work.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council last year also appointed Kingdom to keep the streets clean across the borough.

More than 2,700 fixed penalty notices have been handed out by officers in Blackburn with Darwen since the new initiative started, on October 18.

Residents in Blackburn with Darwen can report areas where there is a problem with littering or dog by visiting www.blackburn.gov.uk.

While residents in Burnley can also report problem areas to streetscene@burnley.gov.uk