BUSINESSES are feeling the wrath of a councillor after “irresponsibly dumped rubbish” was found scattered around Idle village following a recent litter pick.

Members of Idle and Thackley Active group, which regularly conducts tidying sessions around the district, spent several hours tidying up the area, only for it to be ruined hours later.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem Idle and Thackley) said she is now calling for urgent action to be taken by Bradford Council to prosecute any businesses involved.

She told the Telegraph & Argus: “Idle and Thackley Active had turned out loads of volunteers to litter pick. They collected around twenty bags of litter from across Idle and Thackley.

“At about 8.30pm I was contacted by a local volunteer who was speechless to find newspapers spread all down Albion Road, Howgate, Emmeline Close and Union Yard.

“I went to investigate and picked it up. We had several children out with us in the morning and I didn’t want them to be disheartened by the mess.

“I then went to find the source which was behind the Co-op in Bradford Road, Idle.

“It is a disgrace - yet again.

"I am sick of asking them to clean up. Not just the Co-op but all of those shops.

“To me it looks as though the paper were left around the back and someone has come along and decided to throw them around. It wasn’t the weather or the wind that had taken them.

“If they had been stored correctly no-one would have been able to get hold of them and scatter them around.”

Cllr Sunderland has asked that an enforcement team at the Council go round to all these businesses and force them to clean up their act.

She said she sees this as being very important and will be basing her own shopping habits on how businesses look from the outside.

“Rather like a food premises which is rated for its food hygiene standards, I think the Council should introduce a similar scheme based on environmental impact.

“I wouldn’t go to a food premises with a less than five star rating so I am going to start making a decision on whether I shop in premises based on what it looks like from the outside.

“Shops want our custom but don’t care a fig about their customers and where they live,” she said.

A spokesman for the Co-op, said: “The Co-op is a community retailer, very much committed to making a difference locally .

“We are sorry to hear of the concerns raised - we will look into the matter and, are happy to explore further ways in which we can support our community.”