COLNE residents will be sprucing up their town for the summer this Sunday in preparation for their town's blooming battle.

Mass clean-up operations will be taking place across the town and all residents are invited to get involved.

Pendle Council will be supplying gloves, bin bags and pick-up sticks for people to blitz the area in preparation for the Colne in Bloom celebration.

The town will be competing against others in the North West next month.

The events this weekend will be the first in a series and the council also plans to equip residents in other parts of the borough with the tools to clean up their streets.

Sunday's clean-up campaign, organised by the council's Neighbourhood Pride officers with support from residents and community groups, will start and finish at the Waterbridge Resource Centre, in Rigby Street.

Organisers are particularly keen to attract people with a valid first aid certificate to the event. Eight skips will be placed in Clayton Street, William Street, Fountain Street, Patten Street, Boundary Street, Shaw Street and Nicholas Street.

Neighbourhood pride officer Mary Townsend said: "The Neighbourhood Pride initiative is all about supporting local people who want to do something practical and positive to clean up their environment.

"If people take pride in their area, the whole community will benefit."

To help with the main clean-up, meet at Waterbridge Resource centre at 11am or call Andrea Goodall on 01282 661981.

A village clean-up will be also held in Winewall and Cotton Tree on Sunday, with a skip in Duke Street.