BUSINESS owners have spoken out about the ‘diabolical’ needles, drug packets and litter left on two streets on the outskirts of a town centre.

Roy Lomas, director of Lomas Office Furniture and Stationery Ltd, said people are leaving litter and rubbish on King Street and Pearson Street in Blackburn.

Staff from other business have backed Mr Lomas and have called for the council to clean up the rubbish.

Mr Lomas said the problem has been going on for years on and off and is affecting trade.

He said: “It’s just diabolical, there’s rubbish everywhere and there’s so many beer cans.

“You see people drinking and they dump their rubbish, they’re either drunk or high and they don’t care.

“We’ve reported it to the council but nothing seems to get done.”

Phill Ashworth, who works on Pearson Street, said people have been spotted dumping the rubbish and being anti-social.

Mr Ashworth said: “There’s been needles found all over the place, it's disgusting.

“I’ve had customers come in and say something about it.

“Staff are worried about parking cars around the area because of the type of things going on.

“We don’t want this rubbish and litter around here.

“When we report it Blackburn with Darwen Council do come and remove the needles, but the rubbish is just left there and its really off-putting.

“We want the council to get rid of the rubbish to keep the area tidy.”

Mr Ashworth said due to leftover food and the litter left on the streets rats have been spotted running on the pavements.

The offence of leaving litter (section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) states that if a person drops, throws, deposits or leaves anything so as to cause defacement in a public place, they could be committing a littering offence.

When larger amounts of rubbish is dumped a fine of £50,000 or a six-month prison sentence can be handed out

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman saiid the council does clean up incidents when reported.