A high-profile hit squad of super cleansing agents is being formed to attack the district's litter problems.

The crack team will have brightly coloured uniforms and vans and could cut through red tape to get rubbish cleared up quickly when the public rings in to complain.

Bradford Council is expected to set aside £380,000 for the agents who, it is hoped, will start work by May, tackling problems such as fly-tipping.

And today the project won national acclaim from the Tidy Britain campaign. Its regional director, Deborah Bell, said: "This is a fantastic initiative. It gives the clear message to communities and businesses in Bradford to clean up their act, or else. It is a crime to drop litter and it creates an eyesore and health hazard. The public and businesses cause it - not the Council. But sadly, local authorities have a poor public image because of it."

The Council's Executive Committee member for Homes and Environ-ment, Councillor Jim O'Neill, said the new litter busters would be recruited from outside or from within the Council's workforce.

"We want motivated people who have a mission to see Bradford clean.

"It has come clearly across from people who have contacted us that this is one of the things they are most concerned about."

He said on some occasions a 20-strong squad would be operating.

"They could cut through red tape and bureaucracy and provide a fast track response when people contacted them.

"They would also be out patrolling in their vans and dealing with problems when they saw them. People would get to know them."

He said the introduction of wheelie bins in some areas had cut litter by 30 per cent, but there was still a long way to go.

Litterbusting pensioner Joyce Bean, who has waged a one-woman war on rubbish for many years, gave the scheme only a lukewarm thumbs-up. Mrs Bean, 69 of Lilycroft Walk, Bradford, said: "I don't see why we should have to pay people to pick up litter. People shouldn't drop it in the first place.

"I would rather see money spent on employing litter wardens to fine people when they see them do it. You have to make examples of people.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.