A COUNCIL boss has declared people should not “s*** on their own doorstep” and then complain the town centre isn’t clean enough.

Colchester Council leader Mark Cory passionately responded to strong criticism, including on social media and from MP Will Quince, citing a deep desire to improve the state of the town centre.

The senior Lib Dem’s call to arms comes after Tory Mr Quince called him out in a video which focused on the “desperate” state of the town centre.

Mr Cory said he admitted the town was in a bad way and he is not blind to it, but said everyone has a role to play.

He said: “Yes, it is in more of a mess than before and there are factors for that.

“Our main hot jet washer has broken down and is being repaired. It takes a bit longer using different machines.

“Plus with the hot weather and no rain the stains on the pavement appear more visible and take longer to wash off.

“I accept it’s not looking as good and we need to improve that.”

The council is using Cambridge as an example of inspiration, which has won awards for its cleanliness.

It is also investing £300,000 in cleaning the town centre and helping out the zone wardens.

However he stressed it was not a one-man job, and everyone needs to pull their weight, which includes not dropping litter.

He said: “I’m not shy to say this, I’m fed up with people putting our town centre in this mess.

“People have got to have pride and respect. I’m passionate about making it better but I can’t do it on my own; the council can’t do it on its own. It’s about people not dropping litter or making a mess, they shouldn’t s*** on their own doorstep.

“We need a campaign to change people’s hearts and minds.”

Mr Quince claimed to have written to Mr Cory directly but said in his video he had not heard back.

He added: “The town centre is filthy. It’s probably the dirtiest I have ever seen it and it’s the biggest cause of complaint I have from constituents.

“Colchester is the oldest recorded town in the country and as we approach the tourist season we want thousands of people to come and visit.”

In a ‘direct plea’ to Mr Cory, he said: “We both care passionately about our town centre, we both passionately want it to be a tourist destination, so work with me on this.

“Please, as a matter of urgency, deep clean our town centre.”

Mr Cory also cited central Government cuts which have affected his authority’s income.

He added: “We are now having to pay the government money back.

“If we were funded properly and fairly we would have pristine streets.”

The matter of ‘civic pride’ has been raised before, with many of the council’s Have Your Say sessions being dominated by gripes over litter and street cleaning.

Mr Cory said: “This is about people taking care of the town and feeling proud.

“I fully accept it and I’m not blind to it, but we are doing something about it.”

The issue was raised last week by Church Street Tavern owner Piers Baker, who labelled parts of the town centre as ‘disgusting’.