STREET cleansing, graffiti removal and toilet cleaning in the area will soon all be carried out by a single company handed a £20m contract.

Caxton Facilities Management, which won the £4m-a-year combined contract from Bromley Council, started operating the street cleansing and graffiti removal services in late March and will start cleaning public toilets in July.

New cleaning methods and £1m of new equipment are being introduced, including "ride on" pavement sweepers.

Dedicated teams will start by cleaning Orpington, West Wickham, Beckenham, Penge and Bromley town centre before moving onto smaller shopping centres and side streets.

Environment portfolio holder Councillor George Taylor says the news is "exciting".

He added there will be more flexibility and better economies of scale.

To report cleaning problems with streets or public toilets, call the customer service centre on 020 8313 4557.