THE organisers of a huge party that left Southampton streets strewn with litter after the Royal Wedding have been slapped with a £2,000 cleanup bill.

Southampton City Council was forced to launch a three-hour clean-up operation following the party in the Polygon which council chiefs say “got completely out of hand”.

More than 2,000 revellers dispensed with the traditional trestle tables and bunting and instead opted for sound systems, DJs and sofas in aid of the Oxfam charity.

Organiser Matt Caldwell, 22, a club promoter and former Southampton Solent University student, claimed it was the “largest street party in Southampton’s history”.

But Newcombe Road was left covered in bottles, cans and food wrappers and residents complained about deafening music that blared out of huge speakers for more than seven hours.

Council leader Royston Smith said: “My job is to protect the interest of our residents. This mass event got completely out of hand and required a big cleanup job the next day.

“I completely understand that young people want to have a good time and celebrate.

“The music from the Newcombe Road event finished around 9.30pm and it was staged in a good spirit. However I am very concerned about the impact the event had on local residents and the clean up costs for the council the following day were completely unacceptable.

“We have now identified the co-ordinator of the event and have sent them the bill for the clean up costs. We will not allow events like this again if those that enjoy them cannot clean up after themselves.”

Cllr Smith praised the organisation of the 17 street parties around the city as”

excellent examples of how communities can come together to celebrate”.

The evening event, promoted under Oxfam’s Oxjam banner, followed an earlier Royal Wedding street party.

Oxfam denied any responsibility saying its countrywide music festival is organised by volunteers, who are given guidelines on how to organise a safe and legal gig. It was the latest in a spate of complaints about antisocial behaviour in the neighbourhood – dubbed a “student ghetto”

by older residents.

Mr Caldwell, of Ordnance Road, a former promoter for the Whitehouse in Southampton, Ministry of Sound in London and Privilege in Ibiza, was unavailable for comment.

He previously said that residents were issued with bin bags and cleared some of the rubbish themselves immediately after the party ended.