‘It’s being used as a dustbin’ – Anger in Stoke Bardolph as visitors leave behind heaps of rubbish by River Trent

Villagers in Stoke Bardolph say a nearby beauty spot is being used as a “dustbin” by visitors leaving their waste behind.

Since lockdown, the area has become extremely popular with people in the borough visiting the hotspot for their permitted local exercise.

And since the rise in popularity, locals have sadly seen a sharp rise in litter too

Those living in Stoke Bardolph are now having to take matters into their own hands to keep the village and area by the River Trent tidy.

Michael Terry is one of the residents tackling the litter problem in his spare time.

On a mile-walk of the area this week, Mr Terry collected up 162 empty cans of various alcoholic drinks and 12 cans of soft drinks left behind by visitors.

Mr Terry said: “It’s really sad. By my reckoning I picked up 175 cans in total. What’s really sad is more were floating in the river.

“There’s nothing more disheartening than going for a walk in your own village and seeing it like a dustbin. Especially when it’s a riverside location and it gets in the way of the wildfowl. Incredibly I’ve seen wine, whisky and vodka bottles too.”

Mr Terry said he had contacted the council who were quick to respond.

They said: “We’ve made both the street cleaning team and the Neighbourhood Wardens aware of this.”