West End, Grand Bahama - After many years of waiting on the government to assist with cleaning up their community, residents of West End say they are tired of waiting and have begun the process themselves.

Community leaders spearheading the project said over the past several years, environmental concerns of rodents and debris from Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne have compound the problem making it sometimes unbearable for residents and visitors to enjoy the settlement, but with this ongoing clean up campaign they are hoping to bring West End back to its good old glory days.

This past weekend they continued in their efforts. Armed with manpower and the use of donated heavy duty equipment, mounds and mounds of old conch shells were flattened to make the area more attractive and debris was removed from the water side.

Despite some objections to what they are doing, community leaders Cardinal Roberts and Deloris Frith said they are only following what the government has been asking residents in the Bahamas to do in their communities for years, and that?s to clean up their neighbourhoods and to keep them clean.

Frith and Roberts are not alone in their efforts.

Over the past several months, they say they have gone door to door in West End collecting signatures from residents in support of the clean-up campaign in the settlement, known as the capital of Grand Bahama.

Once all the debris is removed and the conch shells have been covered with fill, making it safe for beachgoers especially, the next step in the group?s clean up campaign is to create a man-made beach in the area so that residents and visitors to West End can continue to enjoy the sun, sand, and hopefully a beach, right at their door steps.