CLEAN up your act - that is the message for people working, shopping and living in Manchester.

Today is the start of the city's fifth Own Your Own Streets Day.

And, in an attempt to force people to think about how they throw their litter away, all street-cleaning services have been removed from the city centre for 24 hours. Council bosses say they have made the move to challenge residents and visitors to improve the streets.

This year's event is taking a newspaper theme.

Volunteers dressed as paper boys will be asking the public what they think of services allowing them to recycle free newspapers.

Those who fill questionnaires will have a chance to win a prize of a night at one of the city's top hotels.

We're also doing our bit at the M.E.N.

Copies handed out free in the city centre display a message on the front page urging readers to make sure they dispose of it responsibly.

Today's message is printed in green.

Conscientious

Our vendors boards' will also have headlines reminding people to be conscientious such as `your litter - your responsibility'.

The M.E.N. is printed on recycled paper and we are happy to support the council's campaign.

And it would appear that we are not the only ones.

Kendals, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Primark have pledged to transform their shop windows into displays promoting the event.

And anything bought from city centre Subway, Boots, Greggs and Starbucks will be marked with stickers reminding buyers to put wrappers in the bin.

A panel made up of representatives from the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, the Printworks and the Piccadilly Partnership will join council officers in judging how clean the streets have been kept at the end of the event.

Coun Eddy Newman described Own Your Streets Day as `a brilliant way of encouraging the public to realise the importance of keeping the streets clean'.

He said: "It has been a hugely successful event in previous years and this year it will inspire more people who live, work or shop in the city to do their bit."

The event is part of a 100-day campaign for a `greener, cleaner Manchester' and runs until May 24.

What do you think? Have your say.