Council officials have developed a new strategy for keeping the streets clean in some areas of the district.

Three or four-strong teams are moving into these areas, often early in the morning, to keep the streets looking as pristine as possible.

The reason for this tactic? To protect the cleaners from a rising number of attacks on them, including being shot at. In one attack in Slaymaker Lane, at Oakworth, the workers were fired on by airguns -- with pellets shattering the the windscreen of their vehicle.

Damian Fisher, the council's principal waste management officer for street cleaning, says they are extremely worried as the growing level of violence, especially air rifle attacks, is something they had not come across before.

The appalling situation first came to a head last year, when working practices had to be reviewed after 23 streets were declared no-go zones after a woman street cleaner was dragged from her vehicle and held at screwdriver point in Bradford. The review appears to be working and there are currently no no-go areas.

It appears one of the reasons behind the attacks is that council workers are seen as legitimate targets. Mr Fisher says people see street cleaners as not being respected in society and believe they can be treated how they like. GMB union convenor Ray Alderman supports this view, pointing out that people forget that street cleaners are human beings who have the right to do their jobs in peace.

All right-minded people will be disgusted by this week's report and will wonder what they can do.

Wouldn't it be fitting if anyone convicted of such an attack could be sentenced to spending a week with a dust pan and brush, sweeping streets before being carted off to jail?

The problem is that such an action would probably be in breach of their human rights. Any such rights were surrendered the moment an attack was carried out.

In the real world we could all help by taking one simple step. The next time you pass a street cleaner stop and with a smile simply say 'thank-you -- you are doing a great job and it is much appreciated'.