Business owners will have to step into the breach to help clean up Brighton and Hove’s streets and save the summer season, according to tourism experts.

Volunteers are being called on to help clear the streets as rubbish piles up outside company doors during the strike by refuse and recycling workers and street cleaners at Brighton and Hove City Council.

Tourism experts said the strike has “serious economic implications” and accused the council of abandoning control of the city.

Bosses at the Sea Life Centre and the Palace Pier are appealing for help to take away the abandoned rubbish.

Max Leviston, boss at the Sea Life centre in Marine Parade, said: “We are hoping individuals and local businesses will support us and help keep our seafront ship-shape and tidy for residents and visitors alike during the strike.

“Following several informal meetings between GMB and the Sea Life management team we have had full consent from the trade union to continue with what we are doing, as long as we don’t touch litter in the bins.

“With only a few minor exceptions we have not received any negative publicity for what we are doing. In fact most people are very understanding that the beach cleans are not a political viewpoint, we are just trying to protect our marine world from rubbish getting washed into the sea.”

'Very sad'

Soozie Campbell, chairman at Brighton Tourism Alliance, said: “The damage to Brighton and Hove’s environment and image at the height of the summer tourism season has serious economic implications for the city today and in the future.

“In the absence of political leadership, no one can blame businesses, employees and residents for clearing the waste on their doorsteps.

“This industrial action is between the council and their workers, not the people and businesses of the city.”

But Councillor Ben Duncan, a member of the Green-led administration, said the action by businesses risked aggravating the situation.

He said: “It’s very sad. These proposed cuts are completely unnecessary and I support the striking refuse operatives wholeheartedly.

“I have heard worrying reports, though, that some local businesses are employing their own private strike-breakers to try to keep the streets outside their premises clean.”

Waste collectors have insisted they will not collect general waste in public bins, while the council has insisted that rubbish can still be collected at organised events.

Darren Hedges, boss at Brighton Paper Round, said his firm was contracted to provide bins and take away the waste during People’s Day on Saturday. He said: “I was not aware that the council has said it would not use agency workers, but we were told that it would not be an issue if we did the work.”

Brighton and Hove chief executive Penny Thompson said: “People’s Day is an annual event and not part of the normal Cityclean collection service.

Aswith other events in the city like the London to Brighton bike ride, we arrange for a contractor to provide additional rubbish and recycling bins.”