THE Grime's a Crime campaign may have finished but the drive to keep Wyre Forest clean and green is continuing apace.

District folk are being urged to recycle their waste by a less-than-subtle rubbish truck which has been adorned with two two-metre square advertising posters.

The year-long campaign, run by Wyre Forest District Council in conjunction with the Shuttle/Times and News, saw £106,000 spent on new bins, chewing gum removal and three state-of-the-art street sweepers for town centres.

A report to the council's community life, health and safety overview and scrutiny committee said the initiatives and general momentum generated by the campaign would continue as part of the ongoing service.

The council is desperate to improve its recycling statistics and meet the Government target of 10 per cent of household waste being recycled by 2004.

A spokesman said: "Performance in Wyre Forest has not been good to date, although an improvement from 3.5 per cent to 5.95 per cent has been achieved in the last 12 months."

Council Greendesk spokeswoman Beth Williams said: "Everybody has a role and a responsibility to contribute towards this.

"I am really hopeful this will prove to be an eye-catching and innovative way of catching people's attention and raising awareness of the facilities available for recycling in the district."

The report to the scrutiny committee highlighted the range of initiatives undertaken as part of Grime's a Crime, including the setting up of an eyesore hotline, councillor-led community litterpicks, a blitz on dog fouling, a can bank project and the success of a business code of conduct scheme, which saw 49 district firms sign up.

A new can bank will be unveiled at Bromsgrove Street car park tomorrow after being decorated by members of schools and community groups with help from professional artists.

And in a bid to keep up the good work, the rubbish truck posters also advertise the council's bulky refuse collection service.

People can pay a minimum of £8 to have up to three bulky household items, such as washing machines, cookers and fridges, removed.

Council refuse supervisor Harry Greenwood said workers could also look at removing garden waste or items such as beds and sofas.

For more details call 01562 732928.