Butcher Stewart Derbyshire on the litter-strewn pavement

AN angry Bolton butcher says the pavement outside his shop is so filthy and strewn with litter it is driving his customers away.

Stewart Derbyshire, owner of Jim's Scotch Beef in Thicketford Road, Tonge Moor, has spent months cleaning the area outside his shop each night, collecting bags full of litter.

He has also complained to the council, asking them to place litter bins on the pavement, but the rubbish continues to mount.

Mr Derbyshire says he has had enough of clearing up -- and the council should clean the pavement like it should do.

He told the BEN: "There is a row of around seven shops and the litter which gathers outside them is disgusting. There is rubbish, bits of food and is surely a health hazard. I have resorted to cleaning it myself every day to protect my business, but the litter comes back the next day."

Mr Derbyshire says his high business rates mean the council should clean the area regularly.

He added: "They should at least place litter bins there. It is the way of the world today that people dump rubbish, so there should be measures put in place by the council to clean it up."

A council spokesman said they had checked their records but no one had reported the problem.

He added: "We will investigate. We have environmental awareness programmes to educate people, but each year we still spend around £1.5 million on cleaning and removing material which other people have tipped on streets and on waste ground."