TWO of Oxford’s biggest shopping centres have joined forces to help clean up the city’s streets.

Managers at the Westgate and Clarendon centres last night vowed to step up efforts to clear up their areas by deploying two teams of cleaners and urging customers to bin their waste.

The move follows the start of the Cleaner, Greener Oxford campaign, launched on Monday by Oxford City Council and the Oxford Mail.

The Westgate Centre, in Queen Street, has 14 bins in the mall and a team of 11 cleaners who work during opening hours to keep the centre and the space outside free of litter.

Workers also carry out deep cleaning overnight and the 37 stores and 12 office tenants are urged to recycle as much as they can.

Businesses there are recycling 52 per cent of their waste packaging and the centre is aiming to hit over 70 per cent “in the not too distant future”.

General manager Brendan Hattam said: “We have just introduced some new bins and I would encourage people to use them.”

The Clarendon Centre, in Cornmarket Street, has a team of daytime cleaners and more staff to deep-clean at night.

Its 28 stores and five office tenants have been given recycling bins to cut waste sent to landfill. The centre also sends cardboard packaging for recycling every week.

Operations manager Graham Atkinson said: “We are delighted to support this campaign. It is important that we try to keep this city clean.”

The Cleaner, Greener Oxford campaign aims to tackle litter in the city centre and to reduce the amount of cigarette butts, chewing gum and litter being dropped every day.

Council officers, street wardens and Police Community Support Officers are issuing £80 fixed penalties for litter, dropped cigarette butts or chewing gum, fly-posting and graffiti.

John Tanner, the city council’s executive member for a cleaner, greener city, said: “It is fantastic news that both of these centres have got on board with the campaign.

“It is now important that members of the public play their part.”

dhearn@oxfordmail.co.uk