Volunteers help spruce up Morecambe town centre after councillor's plea to residents

Twenty people gathered on Friday morning to help tidy up and weed areas of the town centre, ahead of what is hoped to be a bumper summer season.

The event was held after County Coun Charlie Edwards made a plea on social media, using photos of some areas of Morecambe covered in weeds to point out how much the town needed tidying up.

Morecambe BID was also involved in the gathering.

They said: "We managed to get over 60 bags of weeds and rubbish cleared away with 20 volunteers.

"We have cleaned in and around the bus station, down Central Drive, Victoria and Edward Streets and the top of Northumberland Street, as well as wombling wide and far for rubbish.

"Many thanks to all including Charlie Edwards for helping to organise, the leaders of Lancaster City Council Caroline Jackson and Morecambe Town Council Cary Matthews, Couns Paul Hart, David Brookes, the Carnforth Wombles and other fantastic volunteers. It was short notice but we will be doing more.

"In addition, the city council were out weeding the promenade. Many thanks to them for providing the tools, bags, and collection service."

Coun Edwards - who is also bidding to bring illuminations back to the resort - said it's important that Morecambe gives a good impression of itself to visitors, particularly while many more people than usual are holidaying in the UK this summer.

"As we cannot travel abroad at the moment, people are flocking to our town every weekend at the moment and we quite rightly need to make it clean tidy and appealing for our visitors and for each other," he said.

"This is probably our best chance to advertise what we have to offer to tourists we will get."

Coun Edwards, who is a county councillor for Morecambe South, is also cabinet member for highways, which is responsible for road and pavement maintenance.

"There is clearly a huge amount to do," he said. "This year is crucial as I said - but also Morecambe is a town on the up.

"We want to be proud of this place, we want to attract big things like Eden and everyday things like more visitors to our shops and pubs and cafes and landmarks."

Residents can report any issues to the council online here.A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "The recent good weather has brought on the rapid growth of weeds and we are currently making arrangements for them to be treated in central areas of Lancaster and Morecambe.

"We expect the first of these treatments to take place around the beginning of July, with a further treatment towards the end of the summer.

"Alongside this we will also be carrying out reactive treatments in other areas of the district as necessary."

Lancaster City Council has also had workers out and about preparing the district for summer.