STREETS around Bolton could be cleaned less often in a bid to save money.

Bolton Council may have to cut down on the amount of street cleaning in a bid to reduce its waste management budget.

It is one proposal being considered by town hall chiefs. A list of eight possible money-saving ideas were presented to a meeting of the council's waste management partnership and a final decision will be made in January.

A total of £50,000 could be saved by reducing the frequency of street cleaning, councillors were told. Details of how often the cleaning would take place have not been revealed.

Other suggestions include more efficient administration and introducing a charge for the collection of bulky waste.

But Bromley Cross Conservative councillor Alan Wilkinson said any proposal to cut back on street cleaning in the town would bring major problems.

"I think it's disgusting that the council is even considering cutting down on street cleaning," he said. "Any reduction would create litter problems, especially in autumn with the amount of leaves that have to be cleaned up. Visitors would be left with a bad impression if the streets are dirty."

Alan Dallas, assistant director of commercial services, said: "Cutting down on street cleaning in the borough is just one option we are considering, but nothing is definite at this stage. The fact may be that by January, we will have found other ways of cutting down on the waste management bill."