Lancaster shopkeepers have slammed the state of the city's streets - with one saying customers are having to walk "through faeces and vomit" to get to her shop.
City centre business owners say side streets and alleyways are a particular problem, especially first thing in the morning.
The issue of street cleanliness in the city came up at a meeting of Lancaster and Morecambe business owners on Friday.
Rachael Hamilton-Southward, who owns Northern Dye House clothes store on Gage Street, said: "All the alleyways and side streets are disgusting.
"There are human faeces, vomit.
"It's embarrassing."
She called for more bins, saying: "I have to go out myself with a bin bag."
Melanie McKay, who runs Ethel & Em wool shop and Analogue stationers on New Street, said: "I won't walk down Sir Simon's Arcade (off Market Street) because of the rats coming out of the sewers.
"I am on first name terms with the rat catcher."
Rachael and Melanie spoke to Beyond Radio after the meeting, about the state of the streets and other issues.
LISTEN to Rachael Hamilton-Southward and Melanie McKay
"My main bugbear is the state of the city streets," said Rachael.
"I walk into town every day, and it's mainly the side streets. They're disgusting. There's faeces everywhere, there's vomit, there is litter in front of the courts, the police station, Thurnham Street, Dalton Square. There's just litter, everywhere you look.
"I get that it's everybody's responsibility, not just the council's.
"But when everybody's paying rates and putting into the system, the system's not working.
"I'm having to go out nearly every day with a bag, pick up all sorts of stuff off the street that I shouldn't be picking up, taking buckets of water out to wash sick off the passages.
"My customers are walking through vomit, sometimes poo, to get to my shop down Ffrances Passage. It's disgusting.
"It's not my responsibility, but everybody can say that and it never gets done. We all need to be taking more responsibility for our city streets and the council needs to step up a little bit as well."
Our photos below show litter near Lancaster Magistrates Court on Tuesday January 14.
Mark Davies, chief executive of Lancaster City Council, was at the Indivision meeting held at 3-1-5 Health Club.
In response to the complaints about the state of the streets, Mr Davies said that of Lancaster City Council's 26m net budget, £1.6m is devoted to street cleaning across the entire Lancaster and Morecambe District.
The District includes Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham, Carnforth, Bolton-le-Sands, Hest Bank, Galgate and other nearby villages.
Mr Davies said in total, 20 per cent of the council's budget is spent on street cleansing and waste collection.
"I would say that the job our street cleaners do is remarkable with the resources available," he said.
"First thing in the morning, you're absolutely right, the mess that users of the city centre leave, is horrific."
Mr Davies said street cleansing staff receive a "huge amount of abuse" from members of the public.
He said the council receives support from Lancaster BID (Business Improvement District) and other community groups in tackling the litter issue.
There were calls at the meeting to make sure the council cleansing teams go out before 9am.
"We can rearrange routes and the order staff do things in," said Mr Davies, who encouraged any business owners having these issues to contact the council.
For our full report on the Indivision meeting see here:
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