BUSINESS owners have launched a campaign to clean up Southampton city centre.

A team from GO!Southampton’s Business Improvement District have gone round city centre streets to pinpoint the areas most inflicted with grime and have now embarked on a programme of scrubbing, litter-picking and power-washing.

The BID - which is made up of 643 businesses from Westquay to Kingsway and London Road to Town Quay - said it is the start of a month long initiative to kick-start the council into keeping the city centre clean, and have spent £2,000 on specialist street cleaning equipment.

Starting with the junction of Bargate and East Street, pavements, car parks, bins and street furniture are all set to get a hose-down in a bid to make the area more attractive and create a “great city centre experience”.

Chair of the action team Spencer Bowman - who also owns Mettricks cafes - said: “One of the highest short term priorities for the Go!Southampton team has been to raise the profile of the main issues impacting our city centre and work to find solutions.

“Our financial support for giving the city centre a long overdue deep clean is a clear example that Southampton’s business community cares about creating a great experience for visitors and residents of the city centre - and we are putting our money where our mouth is.

“We really hope that our investment sees a significant immediate improvement in the cleanliness of the city centre and look forward to SCC maintaining the base level of cleaning more effectively going forward.”

But city environment boss Councillor Jacqui Rayment said the move “enhances” what is already done by the council.

She said: “We are cleaning the city centre and we always have done. The BID are a new organisation and they have invested a little bit of money into having extra cleaning in the precinct.

“The BID has been set up by businesses to enhance the city centre. The council cleans 365 days a year.

“The city centre isn’t particularly dirty - it’s the area the BID identified. It’s the same council team that would be doing it anyway.”

Manager of High Street’s London Camera Exchange Carl Davies said although it’s made a difference, the work should be paid for by the council.

He said: “It looks incredible. It looks like it used to ten or 15 years ago.

“I am for anything that makes the place look clean and tidy.

“There’s quite a few empty shops and it’s long overdue.

“We pay our rates so the council should do it - but at the risk of sounding weak at least it’s being done.”