POLICE officers found a different way to clean up the streets - by tackling litter on a housing estate.

On Friday PCSOs Kirsten Taylor and Iain McCarroll, from Hyndburn north neighbourhood policing team, joined forces with social housing landlord Onward Housing to tackle environmental issues on the Alexandra Close estate in Clayton.

General refuse, rubbish and discarded items, including sofas, lawnmowers and bikes were collected. PCSO Iain McCarroll said within the first two hours of the clean up a 10 tonne skip was full. A second skip has since been delivered for the exclusive use of residents to responsibly get rid of any unwanted items such as washing machines, bric-a-brac and old furniture, PCSO McCarroll said.

He added: “This is a classic example of effective partnership working between local police and a responsible social landlord to improve an area, to help keep people safe, and to help them to feel safe.

“Hopefully this type of initiative will encourage residents to take pride in and ownership of the area in which they live.”