The mayor of Tower Hamlets assisted street cleaners in a bid to get businesses in the East End bouncing back after months of lockdown.

John Biggs was out with council sweepers and volunteers in Shoreditch with the first clean-up around Arnold Circus and along Navarre Street, removing sap and moss from the stone pavements.

East London Advertiser: The mayor and street sweepers on the Boundary EstateThe mayor and street sweepers on the Boundary Estate (Image: LBTH)

“It’s been difficult for small businesses with so many having to close due to Covid restrictions,” he said. “I want to help them bounce back and one way is cleaning up the streets and markets.”

The mayor’s £3 million Covid Recovery Fund is being used, with £267,000 set aside for deep cleaning pavements starting with the Boundary Estate, getting rid of graffiti and even sprucing up shop fronts.

The scheme aims to reboot the East End’s economy following the pandemic's impact.

East London Advertiser: Graffiti on a Royal Mail pillar box near Arnold Circus that council cleaners foundGraffiti on a Royal Mail pillar box near Arnold Circus that council cleaners found (Image: LBTH)

The council has also given out £227million in grants and government rate relief to businesses during the pandemic and is now putting up cash for high street recovery.

Volunteers can do their bit and join in by emailing bigcleanup@towerhamlets.gov.uk