Manchester has reversed its grimy image by being commended as one of the UK's cleanest cities.

The city was traditionally seen as dirty and industrial by the rest of the country.

But a council-led clean-up has impressed the charity Encam, which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

It comes six years after Manchester finished bottom out of 57 cities in a similar survey.

The overall standard is still "unsatisfactory"

Despite the improvement, the situation in Manchester in common with the rest of the UK is still labelled as "unsatisfactory".

But Manchester was commended for its improvement.

Since the 1996 survey, it has employed litter wardens who can hit litter bugs with on-the-spot �50 fines.

City centre manager, Jeff Fisher, said the design of new developments in the city centre, such as Exchange Square, also meant the city was easier to keep clean.

They are now kept clear of cluttery features such as bushes, where litter can collect, and also allowing easy access for cleaning machines.

Food stains

He added: "The Commonwealth Games gave us a short term goal to ensure the city was clean.

"But we have embarked on a five-year campaign, starting last year, where we are concentrating on educating people about dropping letter combined with enforcement."

The survey also found the North West in general was cleaner than London.

Inspectors saw less graffiti, grime and fast food stains while the standard of cleanliness in public toilets was also higher.