HUNDREDS FLOCK TO BEAUTY SPOT – AND LEAVE A MESS!
Visitors flock to beauty spots – and some leave it a mess!
SCENES of tourists descending on the Staffordshire Moorlands and Peak district beauty spots last weekend have been described as ‘horrendous.’
The popular attractions of Ilam and Dovedale along with the Manifold Valley were bursting with cars. The Roaches near Leek area was also very busy.
In the Manifold Valley a huge amount of litter was left behind across the beautiful area by visitors and there were places which were evident that barbecues had been held despite fire warnings.
In Butterton, which is one of gateways to the Manifold Valley, an influx of visitors took to the play area at the village hall and held picnics on the benches.
Clerk of Butterton Parish Council, Maggie Risby, said:
“Things went absolutely mad here in the Moorlands last weekend. It was horrendous. We had an influx of visitors at the play area at Butterton Village Hall.
“The equipment is not sanitised. We have now had to put up notices and padlock the gates.
“People in the village have tried so hard to abide by the rules, but people coming in and using the equipment could pass on the virus and ruin everything. This has upset parishioners.
“Two parishioners did a litter pick in the Manifold Valley where lots of litter was left.
“Dovedale was also horrendous. Cars were parked along the Manifold Valley near Thor’s Cave. “Emergency vehicles couldn’t get through in some places because of badly parked cars.”
Emergency services were called to the reports of a paraglider accident in the Manifold Valley near Wetton on Saturday, May 16.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the incident at 10.11am.
A spokeswoman for the service said: “We sent the Midlands Air Ambulance from Tatenhill, two land ambulances, a paramedic officer and Community First Responder to the scene. Crews treated one patient, a man, who was the paraglider, for potentially serious injuries before taking him by air ambulance to Royal Stoke University Hospital for further treatment.”
Staffordshire Police were called to the scene at
10.20am.
A spokesman said: “Staffordshire Police were called out by colleagues from the ambulance service shortly after 10.20am on Saturday, May 16 to reports a paraglider had crashed in a field off Alstonefield.
“A 28-year-old man was taken to hospital with injuries not deemed life changing or threatening.”