MORE than 46 tonnes of waste was cleared from Wirral's streets in the days leading up to Bonfire Night as part of Operation Banger.

The clean up was part of a partnership between Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue and the Safer Wirral Hub in a bid to prevent nuisance fires in various hotspots.

Around 29 skips were filled during the process.

This year more than 90 volunteers from Seacombe, Birkenhead and New Ferry took part in the operation to clear their area ahead of November 5.

Cabinet member for Law and Order Cllr Paul Stuart said: “It’s great to see residents and services working side by side to support our local communities as part of Operation Banger.

"As a result of hard work by volunteers, the Fire and Police services have been better equipped to deal with the challenges they face at this time of year.

“Operation Banger has undoubtedly made Wirral streets much safer ahead of Bonfire Night and I’d like to thank everyone involved for a great response to the initiative.”

Volunteers litter-picked, collected fly-tipped waste, removed graffiti and delivered information leaflets about fire safety and recycling.

Officers from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service also performed fire safety checks on homes and installed a number of fire alarms in the process.

The clean-up days in each area were funded by Wirral’s Constituency Committees and Wirral Council as part of the Love Where You Live/Love Wirral campaign