This is Bristol --A MAN who has returned to Bristol after 27 years in Hong Kong is waging a one-man war against litter on the city streets.
Mike Delaney is asking for volunteers to join him in his sweep of the city – and he is happy to buy "50 litter pickers" to help his hoped-for clean-up legion.
The lawyer, 57, grew up in Bristol and has always regarded it as his home city.
He was impressed when he returned to the city for the first time since the 1980s and learned there was an elected mayor and that Bristol is going to be European Green Capital 2015.
But he was shocked by the litter, and particularly the cigarette butts which he says are scattered constantly on the ground near his flat in Bath Street, Redcliffe.
He said: "When I got back to Bristol I was shocked by the litter and particularly the cigarette butts, which are so prevalent in and around the city centre where I live.
"Large, ugly wheelie bins are stuffed to overflowing and left unattended on so many footpaths.
"In this regard Bristol compares with a third-world city, not a first-world city.
"Visitors from abroad must be disappointed that a city of such culture and history could be so filthy.
"Anyone who has travelled from Bristol to, say, Oslo, Hong Kong, Stockholm or Singapore will see immediately what can be achieved.
"I have spoken with various parties – street cleaners, employees of the council, occupiers of commercial and residential units – in order to gain some understanding of why all the best efforts so far have failed to achieve an acceptable standard fit for a Green Capital.
"It is great to have high-tech sustainable low-carbon initiatives for industry – but these will achieve little, if anything, if we are ankle deep in litter and cigarette butts wherever we walk."
Mr Delaney is now determined to help make Bristol cleaner – and wants to get others involved.
He said: "Instead of talking, writing and complaining I have bought two litter pickers from a local garden centre and started to clean a 10m area from the main door to my block of flats.
"The second picker is for anyone who cares to join me.
"I have attempted to enlist the next door block of flats but so far without success.
"I have also offered remuneration to several persons who have approached me to beg a few pounds – an hour of cleaning for financial reward – but no takers so far. I will gladly pledge to provide 50 litter pickers, gloves and bags to those who wish to join in.
"I want to make Bristol what it ought to be – one of Europe's cleanest, greenest and most vibrant cultural cities."
As reported previously in the Bristol Post, the council this week debated measures that could see pubs and clubs chipping in to help towards the cost of street cleaning.
In the past year, 6,000 tonnes of street litter was removed from Bristol's pavements, gutters and roads, a significant amount of it from the city centre.
It is estimated the clean-up operation to restore the city centre once bars and clubs have closed takes around 13,000 man hours a year, not to mention the cost to the taxpayer.
Email mikedel163@gmail.com if you want to join Mr Delaney in his anti-litter campaign. Reported by This is 13 minutes ago.