CALLS are being made for immediate action to tackle Weymouth’s litter problems.

Cllr Stewart Pearson has created a collage of photographs showing the extent of the litter problem plaguing the town’s streets with fears the rubbish could be a ‘lasting image’ for holidaymakers.

See the picture gallery here.

He presented the collage, which shows rubbish strewn along a number of roads in the town centre, at a meeting of the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP).

Cllr Pearson says he decided to take action after receiving a number of complaints from concerned residents.

He added: “I’d been getting earache off the wife for weeks about all the rubbish on the road when she walks to work early on Tuesday mornings.

“She was having to cross the road to avoid the seagulls it attracts, as they can be quite nasty at times.”

He added: “This has been a problem for weeks and weeks. If you go into town at 8am it has all been cleared up but first thing in the morning the litter is everywhere.

“Myself and Cllr Mike Byatt are really concerned about this and we want something done. There needs to be immediate action.

“It is an unpleasant sight for residents and it is off-putting for visitors to the town.

“This is something for Dorset Waste Partnership to sort out but it needs something done quickly.

“We don’t want this to be a|lasting image for visitors.”

Waste partnership chiefs have assured that they are doing ‘all they can’ to keep the town|centre’s streets clean.

Steve Burdis, director of the Dorset Waste Partnership, said: “We are aware that some parts of the town centre are messy first thing in the morning. However, we put a lot of time and resources into making sure the town is clean and ready for action by 7am.

“We will continue to work with local members and the community to look at other solutions where necessary.”

Cllr Pearson’s words come as the Dorset Waste Partnership’s Joint Committee has decided to use a budget surplus to boost a county-wide recycling scheme.

DWP has £135.8k left over in its budget this year.

Chiefs have agreed to use the excess money to help implement a new ‘recycle for Dorset’ service.

The service is a new way of collecting recycling and rubbish being introduced across six Dorset districts and boroughs by 2015.

It aims to increase recycling rates, reduce the rubbish sent to landfill, drive down costs and improve customer satisfaction.

East Dorset was the first district selected for the service in 2012. The containers are also used by people in Dorchester, Broadmayne, the Cerne and Piddle Valleys, Charminster, Crossways, Osmington, Owermoigne, Puddletown and Tolpuddle, and in Purbeck.

Residents in West Dorset received their containers in January and February.

And now the ‘recycle for Dorset’ service will be introduced in Weymouth and Portland and part of West Dorset, including Sherborne and Maiden Newton, in October.

The roll-out is due to be completed in 2015.

In a financial report presented to members by DWP treasurer Andy Smith, it was agreed that the under-spend would ‘address continuing pressures’ on the|recycle scheme implementation budget.

All partner councils, apart from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, now have the new services operation in at least part of their area.

It is expected that additional resources of an excess of £400k might be required to complete the implementation of the scheme, according to the financial report.

This figure may be reduced to 100k overspend following a review into how the remaining implementation ‘might be carried out differently.’

The scheme also involves residents receiving an information pack with a user guide, stickers for their recycling containers, a reusable battery bag and free compostable caddy liners.