Award for MMS Litter Reporting

The UK's local government body, Lewisham Council has scooped a prestigious New Statesman New Media Award in the 'Modernising Government' category for its fight against graffiti and fly tipping in the London council area. Since last February, residents in the council have been able to report graffiti and fly-tips with their mobile phone by sending an MMS based picture to the Love Lewisham website.

Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: "Graffiti and fly-tipping was a real problem in Lewisham and we knew we needed to take a radical approach to beat it.

"Our innovation paid off. In the first year more than 15,000 enviro-crimes were dealt with, with twice as much graffiti being cleared up than in previous years.

"In most cases, graffiti and fly-tips are now being cleaned up the same day as they are reported, three times quicker than before."

The sightings are then cleaned up and the person who reported it receives a text to say it's been done. The person who reported the incident can even visit the Love Lewisham site and see for themselves that the job has been done."

Posted to the site on 1st August 2006