Woodhouse Moor: Huge clean up operation after hundreds gather at Leeds park for 4/20 cannabis event

Council workers said that this morning (Friday) they had filled two skips with bags of rubbish left on Woodhouse Moor in Hyde Park in the aftermath of the 4/20 festivities.

Student volunteers from the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University also arrived to contribute to the clean up, though they said that the council had done an “amazing job” and that they were mostly left with debris and “spliff ends” that had been blown away.

4/20 is an annual worldwide event that celebrates cannabis smoking culture on April 20 that often sees people gather to smoke the Class B drug. Police have confirmed that two arrests were made in the park during the event, while a further four men were arrested in the wider Hyde Park area.

Pictures showed large crowds of people gathered at Woodhouse Moor yesterday. In previous years the clean-up operation has been described as “horrendous”.

Council staff started working from early this morning and by 10.30am they had filled two skips with bags of litter, with a staff member saying that they were both empty this morning.

Volunteers from the two universities also joined in the operation at 10am but found that the park had mostly been cleared. Bethany Cunningham said: “It’s pleasantly surprising to see there’s so little for us to do. We hold monthly litter picks at the university. It’s a nice way to take ownership of the impact we have on the community.”

Another team members said: “There’s an assumption that it’s students taking part (in 4/20) and we wanted to show that students care about the community.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “A comprehensive policing operation, in liaison with our key partner agencies, was planned and put place for an unofficial event on Woodhouse Moor in Leeds yesterday, with our focus on keeping people safe.

"Officers were on patrol in the area throughout the day to respond proportionately and appropriately to any illegal activity, particularly any crime or anti-social behaviour that could impact negatively on the local community or other park users. The event concluded without any significant issues.”

Leeds City Council have been contacted for a statement.