Ashby BID has been cleaning up the town's bins this week - but there are much bigger plans in store.

An operation has been underway to rid the town centre waste bins of unsightly stickers that had been placed on them.

Town Centre Manager, Stuart Benson, explained what had been happening with BID (Business Improvement District) - and the inspiration to make the streets look a little less unsightly.

He told Ashby Nub News: "We get a lot of comments from the businesses commenting on the state of the town centre.

"We're proactively trying to create tourism for the town.

After the BID clean-up - the bins are looking pristine again

"The whole point is that this is a welcoming, safe place to come and live, work and visit.

"I often walk around the town and I saw these vape stickers on the bins.

"I thought, 'I've had enough of this'. It's the District Council who empty the bins, but they're not going to peel stickers off, that's not their job.

"Effectively, they've been defaced. I spoke to the BID board and said it's not making the town look great, and I'd like to get someone in to get rid of the mess.

"It's one of the first impressions visitors have of the town.

"They're probably thinking 'that's a bit disgusting'. Then a few residents brought it up on social media - but it was already in my mind that we should do it anyway."

It was felt the state of the bins was not the image to present to the town's visitors

Stuart says this is not a one-off for Ashby, and there is a long-term 'masterplan' in place with the population due to grow significantly over the next five years.

He added: "We'd like to do a deep clean of the town, and we're always looking for ways to improve it.

"We had floral displays this year and got so much positivity from that.

"It's about keeping up that momentum and knowing it's BID and the businesses that are paying for this work to be done.

"This is what it was set up to do.

"We're looking even further ahead to creating a masterplan for the town centre.

"If there was a Government pot of money available, we're already thinking of what we could do with that.

"We have to think long-term - and not just small things, if there is funding, we have to have funds ready.

"We're speaking to the traders already to get their opinions on what we could do to improve the town going forwards."

The BID has also launched a Town Trail app this week in conjunction with Ashby Museum.

Stuart added: "There are six trails around the town centre, including the blue plaque heritage trail, Ashby eateries, the courts of Ashby, a pub trail and a tree trail.

"It's about getting to know the town a bit more, there will be plenty of residents who don't know Ashby's history. We are shouting about the work we're doing at the moment.

"I hope people will see there's a lot more positivity coming their way."