Charity's message to litter bugs

RUBBISH strewn at the Life for a Life memorial park at Dovestone

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CHARITY chiefs have hit out at the senseless litter louts damaging the memorial forest at award-winning Saddleworth beauty spot Dovestone.

Philip Kersh (30) is operations manager responsible for maintaining the 1,300 trees at the Life for a Life memorial garden which is set in a picturesque moorland vista.

He said: "It's extremely disappointing a small number of visitors seem unable to respect such a magnificent local beauty spot.

"We work closely with the RSPB, United Utilities, Peak District National Park Rangers and police to ensure Dovestone is kept clean and tidy for all visitors to enjoy safety as well as protecting the site's wildlife.

"Our small grounds team and the RSPB were on site all day on Sunday asking people not to have barbecues or fires and remove litter when they left.

"We even handed out black bags to picnickers to encourage them to tidy up and take their rubbish home. We removed quite a few bags ourselves when people brought them to us or to our van."

He added: "But it's a shame the Dovestone area still could not remain litter free until the normal litter picking contractor employed by the RSPB and United Utilities arrived Tuesday.

"Visitors need to care of the environment and some people show little regard for the countryside. We really do need visitors to remember they are coming to enjoy the outdoors ­- and its not an extension of their back gardens.

"It is upsetting to all visitors ­- whether the public or those with memorial trees ­- as well as the hardworking operational organisations to see Dovestone treated with such disregard. They need to be more respectful."

Miriam Biran, RSPB Visitor Experience manager at Dovestone, said they had removed more than 100 huge litter bags since Easter.

"It is always disappointing to find dog bins overflowing with picnic litter and used barbecues and other food waste strewn across the ground.

"After all, people come here because it is a beautiful, unspoilt place so even more surprising there are still a few people who don't respect the countryside or take responsibility for clearing up after themselves.

"All RSPB staff litter pick public areas on a regular basis with the United Utilities and Peak District National Park Rangers.

"We employ a contractor who empties the four dog bins and litter picks once a week in the winter and twice a week in the summer.

"There are also dedicated volunteers - local people - to remove litter but if people bring food and picnics to Dovestone they should take the empty bags home or use the ample number of bins provided in the car parks.

"Litter bins are not something most people want to see in the countryside," she declared. "They get overfilled very quickly and become a 'beacon' for people to dump more rubbish next to them.

"As a conservation charity we can make better use of our limited resources protecting and improving this important landscape and the wildlife that lives in it - in turn making a visit even more enjoyable.

"We work closely with police, the fire service and Life for a Life staff who also do a lot of litter removal on a regular basis around their wood and Chew Brook, and speak to people about not having barbecues due to the fire risk they pose.

"Together we are doing all we can to ensure this beautiful and popular place remains safe from fire and free from litter, but we need visitors to do their bit as well!

"If we all pull together this summer, Dovestone, the place so many people love, will remain as it should...natural, breathtaking and unspoilt."