‘It’s wrong, kids shouldn’t have to see this. It’s a disgrace’

Locals were outraged earlier this week when bins next to a playground in Uppermill Park were left overflowing with “stinking” rubbish.

Lee, a local resident, posted a photo of the mess on social media, sparking a community debate about who was responsible. 

While some turned their ire on the council, others turned a wagging finger at the community for ‘not doing their part’. 

Lee wrote on Facebook: “Really nice to see the young kids in the adjacent play area interacting with the warm, moist bins. 

“I saw a toddler attempt to put their rubbish in the bin, completely unprompted, but couldn’t.” 

A commenter agreed: “Shouldn’t be happening in our area and our kids to see this is a disgrace.”

In almost 70 comments on the posts, local residents and a local councillor became involved in a debate about the “disgusting” mess.

Some saw it as part of a wider problem, claiming they’d seen litter all over Saddleworth in recent weeks. 

Oldham Council has spent a number of years replacing street and park bins across the borough with larger capacity bins. 

But some worry the bin scheme has led to ‘less regular’ bin collections with one resident claiming “the bigger bins have been a disaster… totally disgusting”. 

The council insists bins are emptied “as part of the routine cleaning schedule”. 

But others pointed out that blame might lie elsewhere. 

“It’s not illegal to take your bl**dy rubbish home with you if the bins are full,” Stewart Potts said. 

A council spokesman said: “During the summer months when more people are out and about enjoying the good weather the bins do get filled to capacity a long quicker than usual.

“These bins will be emptied as part of the routine cleaning schedule, which is in place across the borough.

“If you find a bin is full please take your rubbish home with you and dispose of it responsibly rather than leaving it for our staff to clean up.”

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