BASILDON Council is to spend more than £150,000 a year cleaning up the district’s grimy streets and targeting “grot spots”.

The council has set up a “pride team” to remove graffiti, litter and chewing gum from the dirtiest parts of the district’s housing estates and shopping parades.

The team will also tidy up roads, cut grass and repair broken street benches.

It will include a new graffiti patrol which will actively seek out graffiti to remove, instead of simply responding to complaints, as currently happens.

The aim is to remove graffiti from public buildings such as garages, bridges, subways and signs more more quickly.

The council will also deploy two new “beat sweepers” – cleaners who remove litter and dirt with a barrow and broom – to blitz housing estates and shopping parades in Pitsea and Vange.

Terri Sargent, councillor responsible for the environment, explained: “We will be sending the team in to blitz grot spots and leave them looking cleaner and tidier.

“The specialist crew will be capable of doing everything from repairing damaged street furniture and cutting the grass to picking up litter and removing graffiti.

“We hope the team can help us deep-clean dirty corners of the district and improve the appearance of other areas which need sprucing up.

“We will also have our first roaming patrol, travelling around the district, checking known hotspots for graffiti.”

Phil Turner, councillor responsible for resources, said: “We hope these extra crews will make a real impact on the appearance of our streets, and keep them looking clean and tidy.”