Park covered in litter after the weekend sun
STREWN WITH PIZZA BOXES AND BEER BOTTLES
A PARK was left covered in rubbish after people spent the weekend making the most of the sunshine.
People living near Humberstone Park, in Leicester, said they were confronted by a sea of discarded pizza boxes, beer bottles, cans and plastic bags.
A resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I was walking through the park on Sunday evening with my friend and there were piles of rubbish everywhere.
“It was disgusting – there were bottles and takeaway rubbish everywhere.
“It’s sad to think people would just abuse the space like that. People might want to take their children and it poses risks to the wildlife.”
A Mercury reporter, who visited the park on Monday morning, said the area was still littered with food and drink waste.
The city council said volunteer litter pickers are advised to leave filled black bags by the bins so that they can be picked up.
An increase in littering and fly-tipping has plagued parts of the city and the wider county throughout the pandemic.
There have also been increased reports of littering during periods of warm weather.
A council spokesman said: “All parks are exceptionally busy at present with people enjoying the sunshine.
“We have parks cleaning staff working every day throughout the summer, visiting all our parks and open spaces to empty bins at least once over the weekends.
“All sites are then cleaned again every Monday.
“If bins are full, please help us to keep parks clean for all to enjoy by placing litter in another bin on site.
“It’s extremely rare for all bins on a site to be full, but if they are, we ask you to please take your litter home with you.
“We have lots of volunteers litterpicking across the city.
“They are advised to tie up filled bags and leave them by the bins for staff to collect when next on site.
“Our own staff may also do this when litter picking, placing rubbish in a central place for collection.”