Refuse giant Sita is going back to basics in a bid to improve its record of keeping city streets clean.

The French-owned company, which has faced severe criticism since taking over refuse and street cleaning in Brighton and Hove in November 1999, is giving individual sweepers their own patches of the city. They are intended to supplement the existing, sophisticated machinery used by teams.

Sita contract manager Peter Pannett told a council scrutiny board last night: "This will help people become well known in their areas."

But Labour councillor Jack Hazelgrove said: "This is reinventing the wheel.

"This system of barrow rounds must have been known for about 100 years and Sita has only just discovered it."

Mr Pannett said: "We are putting something into effect that will be good for the city of Brighton and Hove."

Sita is also putting new measures into effect in an attempt to ensure there is no rubbish chaos during and after the Easter holiday.

Staff will turn out to collect bins on Easter Saturday and on the Saturday after the break.

What pleased Sita bosses most of all was that the idea came from the workforce, demonstrating better relations with management.

The company has been dogged by problems with meeting its targets both for missed bins and for keeping the streets cleaned.

But Sita bosses told councillors there was a steady improvement and things should get better when new rounds are introduced in June.

There has also been a recent management reorganisation.

The firm is also introducing kerbside recycling in many areas next month.

But Tory deputy leader John Sheldon said: "Your company is really responsible for the dirty streets of the city. You don't give me any confidence."

Coun Christine Simpson, who chairs the scrutiny board, said: "We will be keeping an eye on what is happening."