LOCKDOWN litter louts have struck on a quiet common.
The picture shows what appears to be picnic rubbish including plastic bags, discarded on a patch of land between Poolbrook and Peachfield Road in Malvern, managed by the Malvern Hills Trust.
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Posting on a Facebook community group, Malvern Noticeboard, resident Sue Sly, said: “To the people who were enjoying a picnic – you forgot something.
“Instead of leaving [it] for others to clean up, take your rubbish home with you, you dirty pigs.
“If people can carry it with them for the picnic they should be able to carry it back with them and take it home to put in their bins.”
Malvern mayor, cllr Neil Morton, said: “This type of dumping of rubbish is an on-going problem and people need to act responsibly now more so that ever as whoever picks the litter up does not know if it’s contaminated with coronavirus.
“I don’t understand people who throw take away boxes from car windows either and I’ve seen that around Malvern too.
“If people can go to the trouble of taking items to a site to eat then why can’t they take it back home with them to throw away?”
A spokesman for the Malvern Hills Trust said: “We’re disappointed to see this lack of care for our local environment.
“With an increase in visitors over the last six weeks, there has been an increase in the amount of litter on the hills and commons.
“We’d like to ask visitors to do their bit to look after these precious green spaces by putting their litter in the bin or taking it home so these places can be enjoyed by everyone.
“Litter can also cause harm to the cattle and sheep grazing the hills and commons and local wildlife who may be curious and ingest rubbish left behind.
“Our staff have been busy clearing up but we’d also like to thank all the local people who have helped care for the landscape by picking up and collecting litter left by others.”
Residents have spoken out on a community Facebook page on food litter as well as other types of litter they have noticed an increase of during lockdown.
Jock Rott said: “Groups of teens leaving cans, and massive increase since Macdonald’s reopened.
“As a dog owner, I deplore the minority who leave the dog poo – it takes a second to bag it and take it home or to a bin.
“Even worse when they bag it and leave it!”
Marie Bray said: “They think nobody is watching.
“The amount of dog mess and dirty personal protective equipment on the ground also is unbelievable.”
We reported at the beginning of June on a mattress being dumped on Malvern Link common.
Do you have an issue with littering or other antisocial behaviour where you live?
Contact our community reporter Steven Collins.
