Litterbugs have left rubbish scattered across Halton’s prize winning parks and verbally abused Halton Borough Council staff who work to keep the areas clean.
The Council wants people to enjoy parks and Open Space Officers have worked hard to maintain throughout the pandemic so that people can do that.
But a minority have not been keeping them tidy, with incidents reported in all parks, with Spike Island particularly hit.
Halton Borough Counci’s Executive Board Member for the Physical Environment, Cllr Ron Hignett, said there was no excuse for dropping litter.
He said: “If bins are full, take your rubbish home with you. Groups of up to six can meet now, but you do need to keep social distance. Please be respectful of our staff, they’re trying to keep the parks nice for people to use.
“We have always thought of our parks as jewels in Halton’s crown. And the public agrees. Thanks to all the council staff and the many volunteers who help make them look so good.
“Let’s not have all that good work undone by a mindless minority.”
Frontline Parks Workers have been at the forefront of the Council’s response to the Covid-19 crisis.
These have endeavoured to keep our parks and open spaces safe, clean, and tidy at a time when people are staying local and appreciating the value of places on their doorstep.
Open Spaces Officer, Paul Boardman, said: “While it is unfortunate that a minority are acting anti-socially, it must be stressed that we are grateful for those who behave responsibly and assist us in our goals of keeping the Borough’s award winning open spaces available for the public to enjoy.”
When Britons voted for their ten favourite parks in the country, our very own Halton Borough Council run Victoria Park was victorious, coming in the top ten twice in two years.
It was the only park in the North West of England to make the list. Runcorn Hill only just missed out, giving us two in the top twenty!
For more information on Halton’s parks: https://www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/libraries/parks.aspx