The cleanliness of public areas in Northern Ireland has fallen below standard, according to a new survey.

A report published on Wednesday by the group Tidy Northern Ireland has deemed many roads, play areas and car parks as unsatisfactory and "downright dirty".

More than half of the province's 26 councils fell below the standards set in a similar survey last year.

The report said the fall was particularly alarming in Belfast, Cookstown, Magherafelt and Limavady.

Rats are a by-product of litter

Tidy Northern Ireland's surveyors examined the local authority areas for litter, dog fouling, graffiti and vandalism.

Its Northern Ireland director, Ian Cole, said he hoped the report would shake councils and their residents into putting more effort into keeping the streets clean.

"Perhaps the feeling is that with so many other problems, things like litter don't matter," he said.

"Yet if people live in a poor quality environment, they feel less safe and behave in a more anti-social way.

"Failing to keep our neighbourhoods tidy can result in higher crime rates, decreased business and tourism opportunities and even problems with vermin," said Mr Cole.

Making the grade

Trained researchers looked at 2,326 council-owned sites for the survey.

Ards Borough Council came out best with more than a third of its sites being awarded an A grade.

At the other end of the scale, more than 10% of Belfast's sites were given a D grade while the figure in Omagh was 16%.

Sweet wrappers were seen at three quarters of the areas surveyed.

Eamonn Holmes said Belfast's streets were dirty

Cigarette ends, boxes and matches were found to be the biggest problem, being found at 86% of the sites.

Mr Cole said: "We are throwing open the door to councils to come and work with us so that together we can create the kind of quality local environments we want to live in."

Earlier this year, television presenter Eamonn Holmes said Belfast's streets were covered with the vomit of drunks and litter.

"It is my city and I'm not talking as someone who just occasionally passes through it," he said.

"Drink and drugs and the lack of anyone doing anything about the situation is part of the problem.

"There is not a pride in being northern Irish, there is a problem with being northern Irish. There are an awful lot of people who feel they do not belong here, for whatever reason."