MORE businesses have backed a petition to urge Kirklees Council to clean up Huddersfield.

They want the authority to carry out an urgent clean up and repair improvements in the town centre.

So far more than 200 businesses have signed a petition to improve St Peter’s Street area in Huddersfield town centre which they claim is regularly littered with rubbish including beer cans, drugs needles and human excrement.

There have also been calls for the Byram Arcade to be cleaned up with external metal work restored to its former glory and further investment in the Britannia Buildings in St George’s Square, where there are a number of empty buildings.

Manager of The Blueroom in The Byram Arcade, Imran Jogee, said: “We have an outside area which leads down to the courtyard which regularly attracts drunks.

“They also graffiti the walls which you don’t expect from grown men.

“We haven’t been here very long and they do move when we ask them but it is not very nice, particularly for our elderly customers.

“The arcade could also do with cleaning up and repairs. The balcony facade is filthy and the ironwork has seen better days.

“It is such a shame as this area should be a showcase area of the town but instead it has been left to decay.”

Steve Ashcroft, manager of The Camel Club, which is beneath The Blueroom, said: “We do get flak because people think it is our beer cans and rubbish but it isn’t.

“The area is cleared when we close and when we open it is filled again.”

Laura Biddle, who also works at the club, added: “We also clear out the areas where cans are thrown from the balcony every few weeks even though they are not our responsibility.

“We do come across needles and this is more worrying but again it shouldn’t be up to use to sort out.”

Shop Manager Ali Shaukat runs Ego Menswear on Station Street and feels more could be done to improve the area.

“You do see people drinking at certain times of day.

“It is more the cleaning that is the problem. I had to clean up vomit from the side of the shop because its not very nice for shoppers.”

Newsagent Ullah Rashid added: “I don’t think Huddersfield is any worse than any other areas but they could do more to keep the town clean.”

Bridget Hughes, Lifeline Service Manager for Kirklees North, which operates premises in Station Street, said: “We have been here for seven years and in that time we have worked hard with businesses and on occasion invited them to our centre to attend meetings.

“We have not had any issues raised for some time now but will continue to listen to any concerns businesses and residents may have.

“We operate a daily street walk around our centre vicinity and this does very rarely result in needles being picked up and correctly disposed of.

“While I am willing to accept the location of the centre may not be ideal for everyone the majority of businesses have given us their support and realise that a town centre location is essential for delivering our services.”