VIC Lee is a man on a mission.

With more than 245 square miles of urban and rural roads under his care, and a small army of staff at his command, it is his job to co-ordinate everything from rubbish collection to pest control.

Mr Lee, who is the head of street care at Basingstoke council, told The Gazette that the amount of litter in the borough has doubled during the last six years, and that it now costs the council £1million a year to clear it all up.

Mr Lee said: "Litter is a massive problem, but really it shouldn't be there. If the litter wasn't there we wouldn't have to pick it up. We have all got to share this problem. If we do that then I think we will crack it."

Last August, as a result of a Best Value Review, the council launched a new scheme to tackle litter in the town by combining street cleansing and environmental services in one department.

Under the new street care scheme, which is part of the council's Clean Safe Streets campaign, the borough has been divided into six geographical areas, and six dedicated street care teams have been set up to patrol them.

Each team has its own street management officer and includes about nine or 10 street cleansing operatives, as well as about six extra employees who work in specialist units to deal with specific problems such as graffiti and drainage.

Cllr David Potter, Cabinet member for communities and regeneration, told The Gazette: "The teams have a sense of ownership to the area they have been allocated. I think that is quite important as it gives a sense of identity and pride in that area that didn't exist before."

The street care teams have also identified a number of litter hot-spots across the borough, such as school rat runs, which are now checked on a more regular basis.

Mr Lee said that residents in Buckskin and Popley had reported a noticeable change for the better since the new cleaning regime began in August, and that independent inspections carried out by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign showed a gradual improvement in street cleanliness in the Basingstoke borough.

However, despite the council's best efforts to keep the town clean, Mr Lee said the borough still receives criticism from the public.

He said: "We do need help from the public, and we do need them to report litter. But some people call to report litter, and if it's still there the next day, then they are not happy. To provide that level of service we would be talking about spending literally millions of pounds.

"Criticism can be damaging for morale. We are aware of it, and we do have to manage how we respond to it, but the teams set high standards for themselves and they are proud of the work they are doing."

education and enforcement are dealt with in the same department, which Mr Lee said reflected the council's belief in prevention rather than punishment.

Mr Lee said: "We think education is the key. Dropping litter has got to be seen as unacceptable. We don't just want to alienate the public by fining them."

The council's environmental services section, which has won three Green Apple Awards from the Green Organisation, runs several workshops in the borough's senior schools as part of their citizenship programme, as well as other educational projects.

The council also takes part in a number of community projects such as litter-picks and national Environmental Awareness Weeks promoted by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

Mr Lee concluded: "Litter is a major problem. But I have pride in the town, and I get a lot of satisfaction from my job knowing that I can make a difference."

Members of the public who want to alert the borough council to a litter issue can call the contact centre on 01256 845474 or leave a message outside office hours on freephone 0800 212218.

The information will be passed to the relevant street care manager.