RURAL areas should not be forgotten in the massive Wyre Forest clean-up campaign, a councillor has said.

Blakedown district councillor Pauline Hayward pleaded the rural case for the clean-up launched by the authority and the Shuttle/Times & News.

She said the countryside should not be cast aside in the £150,000 initiative to banish grime from the district.

She told the council's policy and implementation committee meeting last Thursday: "We need to look to the rural areas.

"Money is being spent on cleaning the centre of Wyre Forest towns but the ratepayers of rural areas have very little for their money.

"We could have some of the country lanes cleaned up. We have to put up with abandoned burnt-out cars which are a real eyesore."

Next month will see the launch of a hotline for complaints about grime hotspots - leading to the creation of an eyesore register.

In June three new manned street-cleaning machines costing £97,000 will be put to work in Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley town centres.

The committee noted equal prioritisation of blitz crews between flytipping of natural materials, additional cleansing of subways and removal of litter from hedgerows.