Rubbish in local country park is ‘a total disgrace’

A local man, who does not wish to be named, said he visited the park with school age children recently and observed the rubbish at the water’s edge.

“There were bottles, paper, large plastic containers, planks of wood and a lot of old rope in which birds or anything could get tangled up on,” he said.

The man described it as a ‘total disgrace’ and said he had concerns for wildlife in the vicinity of the park.

A spokesperson for Creggan Country Park said that it had not been safe to send staff and volunteers out to clean up the water’s edge due to the recent inclement weather experienced in the North West.

“Due to the recent spells of stormy weather and incoming Storm Jorge there has been an accumulation of debris washed into the reservoir and it is not currently safe to send our staff and volunteers out on boats to clear it out.

“In line with our habitat management plan, a weekly boat based clean-up is carried out in the reservoir to remove litter.”

The spokesperson added: “The fact we have carried out so many clean ups highlights the ongoing problem of fly-tipping and litter in the area and indeed across Northern Ireland.

“People need to be more responsible and dispose of their household waste appropriately.

“Keep NI Beautiful and the Stormont Executive have launched a report this week highlighting that 1.3 million pieces of litter are dropped on Northern Ireland streets at any one time which is a disgrace.

“Litter impacts on the visual amenity of an area and poses a danger to people and wildlife.”