Twitter #riotcleanup mobilises broom armies around UK

Six year-old Grace part of the Twitter broom army; Picture courtesy of Jake Mulley

A friend on Twitter this morning asked this question - is there any good news out there, anything to cheer us up following the thuggery of the last few days, and gloom and doom in the financial markets?

Well yes there is.

Although born out of the mindless violence and looting in cities around the UK over the last few days, one amazing thing has happened. The Twitter broom armies.

Mobilised initially by @Riotcleanup the concept has now gone viral and riotcleanup hashtags are appearing on Twitter for various cities and towns such as Wolverhampton, Manchester and other places where the mobs tried their best to wreck their own and other communities.

The goodwill, determination and the "we won't let them grind us down" spirit shown by ordinary people, who are turning up to clean not just their streets but those in other neighbourhoods as well, is truly humbling.

So yes, there is cheering news out there and one which shows the good that social networking can bring.