A WEST SOMERSET pensioner is asking local residents to join his one-man crusade to clean up Minehead and rid the town of the “level of neglect and shabbiness which is unacceptable in a tourist destination.”

“It is clear from the state of the town centre that the town council do not have the necessary resources to maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness,” says Mike O’Keefe, who travels from his home in Wootton Courtenay to clean litter bins and remove stickers and graffiti from lamp posts, bollards and traffic signs and crossings.

He added: “I am seeking help from others keen to maintain a decent standard of cleanliness in Minehead - a priority is to clean the filthy litter bins.

“I visit Minehead most days and just got fed up with looking at the mess and the repeated signs of civic neglect on the seafront, the Avenue and the Parade.

“If this continues, eventually Minehead could end up looking as shabby and neglected as Taunton town centre.

“I recently spent several early mornings removing scores of stickers, old cable ties and graffiti and cleaning filthy tourist maps and road signs. “It took over an hour of hard scrubbing to clean decades of grime from some of the signs.”

“The litter bins along the seafront are a disgrace and have not been cleaned for many years and those in the town centre are also in need of attention.” Mr O’Keefe said.

“Minehead Town Council does an admirable job with floral displays and the various events it organises for the town but in this instance it is found wanting due to lack of resources.

“I just want to get help from like-minded people who don’t like to see Minehead looking like this. Anyone interested can email me on [email protected].”