Harrogate council shames 'selfish' litter bugs at the Stray and steps up efforts to tackle the widespread waste

Hundreds have poured onto the town's precious parkland to enjoy the warm weather as lockdown rules were lifted.

But - as people leave - bins have been left overflowing while rubbish including beer bottles, takeaway boxes and drug paraphernalia have been abandoned on the grass.

It has prompted pleas from the Stray Defence Association and more mindful residents for park go-ers to tidy up their mess.

The council itself has also faced calls to take more action - and it has now responded.

A spokesman said: "With the warm weather we have had, and as lockdown restrictions ease, a selfish few think it is acceptable to leave rubbish on the Stray.

“Unfortunately these people don’t even bother to use any of the many bins provided and just leave rubbish where they were sitting.

“We are doing what we can with the resources available and have increased our collections to try and manage the problem. However, it isn’t just about emptying bins, our teams are now having to walk the length and breadth of the 200-acres of the Stray picking up what people have left behind."

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It comes after Judy d'Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, raised safety concerns over some of the items left at the beauty spot.

She said: "Tragically it is not just the dreadful detritus of bottles and food wrappers but also an increase in the paraphernalia of drug taking and empty canisters of nitrous oxide.

"There have always been thoughtless folk who leave rubbish but in recent weeks this has turned into an avalanche.

"This is not only unpleasant it is also illegal."

There have also been calls for more bins and fines to clamp down on littering at the Stray - and some fed up residents are considering taking matters into their own hands by organising regular litter picks.

The council spends around £300,000 a year on tidying the beauty spot and it is now keen to remind Harrogate residents of their responsibilities.

A spokesman said: "We already spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ money every year to pick things up that other people drop when it is pretty straightforward to simply put it in a litter bin or take it home with them.”

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter

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