FOR a nostalgic two hours, the rag and bone man was working the streets of Salford again.

The days of local Steptoes in the city, bawling out for unwanted bric-a-brac and household items, are long gone.

Once a familiar sight across Greater Manchester and beyond, the man with the horse and cart has been left on the scrapheap as people give no-longer-wanted things to charity shops or sell them at car boot sales.

But a community business called Second Time Around went back in time to carry out a sweep for old clothes in the Charlestown area.

Two prize-winning shire horses, Regent and Royal, from the council-owned Clifton House Farm, were hired to pull a cart around the area this week.

Fun

Shop manager Gail Cosgrove said: "The horses and cart were a far cry from how they looked in the old days and we were lucky to have them.

"These beautiful horses caused a great deal of interest and encouraged local people to bring out their old clothes. It turned out to be a fun way of getting across the recycling message."

It was all part of a week-long campaign by the Seaford Road business, which involved leaflets and bags being distributed to every house within a two-mile radius of the shop. Local schools were also asked to collect clothes.

Staff from the store walked with the horses, collecting bags from local homes. Back at the store, the bags were sorted and the clothes washed and pressed before being sold at knock-down prices.

"We offer a real service to the community," said Gail. "All our clothes are beautifully presented and are the cheapest around. You can buy any make of jeans from us for about £1.50."

The company is Salford's first community recycling business and has now been successfully trading for six years.

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