Down in the dumps over selfish litterbugs
I WALK in beautiful countryside every day and every day I see how some people treat our wild North West, as a dumping ground for their litter.
From cans and crisp packets, to fast food wrappers and then the heavy duty trade waste, it is a blight on our natural places and a threat to wildlife.
Throughout lockdown we have had fly tipping on our amazing Longworth Clough nature reserve on the moors close to Belmont.
Nature reserves have been targeted by lazy fly tippers because they are quite isolated.
Some tradesmen get the blame for this, and I am sure some do it to avoid refuse tip costs, but I saw a garden shed and all its broken tools left by householders on the side of a lovely hill in Lancashire.
Someone had actually gone to the trouble of driving up a narrow road and sneakily dumping their waste.
Surely, the petrol costs would have made this a more expensive trip than going to the tip? Foolish and selfish. Generally littering of the countryside is done in the public gaze and I understand people not being willing to confront litterers because they aren’t very nice people.
So who are these selfish ones, who claim to love the countryside and then leave it in a mess?
Who are the people who enjoy some al fresco dining in a beauty spot and then leave it looking like a tip?
I certainly don’t know anyone who drops litter these days and my friends certainly don’t.
So who are the people who do this?
Who are the people who set fire to moorlands either through badness or incompetence when barbecuing their dinner?
What’s wrong with pre-prepared sandwiches?
Tidying up after yourself literally takes a few seconds, put your rubbish in a bag and take it to a bin or take it home.
If you feel that a barbecue is a sensible thing to light on a tinder dry moor, when you have finished, pour water over it. Wait until it is cool and then take it home.
Better still, don’t do it at all.
Hundreds of people have been involved in mass gatherings during lockdown, which is bad enough without them leaving all their garbage behind.
“Hey, we just want our freedom! And here are our drink cans and gas canisters for you to clean up.”
There is no social conscience or community here.
I am delighted to hear about Stretford Litter Pickers and their amazing work bagging lots of rubbish in their area but the fact that there is so much for this brilliant bunch to pick up is heartbreaking.
Heartbreaking because it is making our towns and country look a mess, but also because it can kill wildlife.
We have seen evidence of millions of birds with plastics inside their stomachs and small mammals die in both plastic and glass bottles.
So let’s be plain, litter bugs you are not only spoiling a lovely, natural area with your mess, you are killing some of the beautiful wild creatures that live there.
The next time you visit that area it will not be the same because you have ruined it for everything and everybody.