'Town like streets of Calcutta'

A FED up Portishead resident is calling for a massive clean up of the town - claiming parts of it 'look like the back streets of Calcutta'.Ken Smith, of Down Road, made the appeal for a tidy up of the town at a meeting of Portishead and North Weston Town Council on Wednesday night.He said certain areas of the town, including the precinct, parts of the High Street, Down Road and West Hill were looking tatty and down at heel.Mr Smith said: "The population of Portishead is increasing, therefore it must be a good idea to start emptying the litter bins."The precinct, West Hill, Down Road, the Lake Grounds all need to be swept and tided up - Portishead is starting to look like Down Town Calcutta."One of the worst areas is the walk from Roath Road car park to the High Street."This area is absolutely disgusting with overgrown brambles, litter and broken bottles all over the place."Mr Hill said he was amazed the town had become so scruffy, especially in light of the fact that Portishead was awarded a silver gilt medal in the annual Britain in Bloom awards last month.Mr Hill added: "We may have won a medal but behind the facade, we are quickly becoming one of the scruffiest towns in North Somerset."Councillors said it was difficult to ensure all areas of the town were kept clean and tidy as not all the areas were under the control of North Somerset Council.Portishead councillor Reyna Knight said: "We have tried to address issues with untidiness in the precinct, but it is very difficult to get hold of the people responsible for it."A North Somerset Council spokesman said: "There is a regular street cleansing programme in Portishead and the High Street is cleaned on a daily basis. "If residents report any litter issues to our streets and open spaces team on 01934 888 802, they will respond accordingly. "The areas of the precinct and the car park mentioned are not owned by the council, but we will contact the owners to see if any action needs to be carried out.