A COUNCIL street cleaner has been hailed a ‘local hero’ for unblocking a drain that had been flooding the pavement in front of charity shop.

For years, heavy rain has caused regular flooding outside the front door of Hyndburn Stray Dogs in Need, Whalley Road, Accrington.

On Monday, borough council street sweeper Steve Smith intervened to fix the problem once and for all by removing plastic bags blocking the drain.

The charity’s chairman Steve Wood said: “He is our local hero for going above and beyond his job to help us.

“Our shop in Accrington town centre has had regular problems with flooding every time it rains heavily for a long time because of a blocked drain in front of it.

“We have had to mop up and put towels down so people could get in without getting their shoes and clothes wet. It happened again on Monday.

"As I was going in that morning, local council street cleaner Steve Smith arrived.

“We had a chat and he cleared up all the flood water and asked what the problem was. I told him about the problem with the drain. He then lifted the cap and investigated.

“Mr Smith then pulled out a load of plastic bags and unblocked it so it’s working perfectly. We think he is a real local hero for doing this.

“It’s what you want from a council employee — someone who goes above and beyond their job to help people. His main concern seemed to be whether he would get into trouble with his bosses for doing something he shouldn’t.

“I took a picture and emailed it to David Welsby (Hyndburn Borough Council chief executive) saying Mr Smith was our hero. He emailed me back saying he agreed and his actions were brilliant, just what he should do.

“So it seems Mr Smith is a Hyndburn Borough Council local authority hero as well as our local hero.”

Mr Welsby said: “It’s always great to hear compliments about members of staff. We often get good feedback from the public, and this is one example of many that shows the good work that council staff do every day.

"As we have seen during the recent snow disruption, our staff often go the extra mile to make sure that Hyndburn residents receive excellent public services and it is a credit to them that they are always keen and willing to help.”