'It is disheartening' says woman after seeing litter dumped in Worcester park

Heather Curtis, from Worcester, discovered smashed glass and litter in Brickfields Park while walking her dog, despite her efforts of filling 15 bags of rubbish last month.

Miss Curtis, aged 24, said: “There was so much litter. It is disheartening. It was a kick in the teeth after all the hard work we put in.

“I often see groups of teenagers and young adults hanging around the park drinking alcohol. That is the main problem. It is intimidating sometimes when there is a group of people and I’m on my own.”

Miss Curtis says something needs to be done to address the issue, adding: “There should be a scheme where the park closes at night to keep people out and stop them from dropping litter and smashing glass bottles at night.

“It is dangerous after all, it is not just a bit of litter being blown about, there is also glass which can cause an injury to wildlife and children. I do not want my dog cutting his paw on glass and getting hurt.”

Miss Curtis, along with her partner and their two friends, spent four hours on Easter Sunday clearing the grounds of the park in Ash Avenue.

She added: “We could go back out and clear it again, but in a months’ time the rubbish will be back. There are plenty of bins in the park, so it is no excuse for people to litter."

A City Council spokesman said: “Council officers have visited Brickfields play area today (Thursday) to ensure it is free of litter and broken glass. We would encourage anyone who finds broken glass or other hazardous material in a park or play area to report it immediately at www.worcester.gov.uk/report-it. We will always clean up broken glass on the same day it is reported to us.

“The Brickfields park and play area are inspected and cleaned at least once a fortnight. If we receive reports of litter in the area we will clean it away as soon as possible.”

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