WITH shoppers and diners returning to Oxford city centre after this week’s reopening, the city council’s staff are putting in extra efforts to make sure streets are clean and Covid-safe.

The council’s Oxford Direct Services Streetscene team has adopted an Oxford Standard which means more hot washing, steam cleaning and sanitising of the main areas of the city centre.

With people returning to the centre, new staff members have been taken on and cleaning start and finish times have been changed to make sure sanitising takes place where and when it’s most needed.

Two early shifts start at 5am and 5.30am and, to take account of the rules that allow outside drinking and eating and with shops allowed to stay open later, shifts have been extended to 7.30pm.

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High pressure hot-wash machines clean streets and have been adapted to steam clean or power wash street furniture – washing under benches and between bike racks – work previously done with brooms and cold water.

Head of Environmental Services, Bruce Thompson, said: “It’s great to see the city centre starting to come out of lockdown and to see people returning. Our cleaning regime will see our staff on patrol every day. As well as regular street cleaning, they’ll be sanitising the bins, benches and bus shelters in the city centre.

“Visitors can be assured that that Oxford is a clean and safe place to come to.”