CRAIGTON residents joined forces to take part in a massive cleanup operation.

Locals were fed up with the state of their streets and decided to get back to basics to transform them.

Members of the Craigton Residents Action group and other locals picked, pruned and swept their way around six streets.

The group, winners of an Evening Times Community Champion award, have helped to develop a public garden and children's playpark in the area.

The clean-up cleared rubbish, unblocked drains, swept up leaves and ­de-weeded pavements in Barlogan Avenue, Dunellen Street, Dryman Street, Crosslee Street Maryland Drive and Carsaig Drive,

Laura Dunbar, chairwoman of the residents' group, said: "Many of us are neighbourhood improvement volunteers, and we got so fed up because the streets are not getting cleaned properly.

"The kerbs are thick with silt, weeds and rubbish so we just wanted to get back to basics and do a proper street cleanup."

At the end of the four-hour session, the group were left with bags bursting with litter, overgrown weeds and silt, but they are not stopping there.

They are set to transform other sites, and have scheduled three more sessions in the coming months. Laura has high hopes for the next cleanup on April 26, and wants others to get involved.

"We were very pleased with our achievement for the day, and we're all looking forward to our next cleanup where we will tackle other streets in area," she said. "It is for everybody in the community to take part.

"Everybody has the same gripe - the streets are filthy and the cleansing don't have the money or the manpower to go out and do a street sweep anymore.

"We all want our streets looking clean and this is the way we've got to do it."

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) lent a hand by funding refreshments and snacks for the hard-working volunteers. Clean Glasgow provided cleaning kits, including litter pickers and brushes, to help with the work.

hannah.rodger@eveningtimes.co.uk