Campaign launched urging people to take rubbish home after 'unacceptable' scenes at Hyde Park

A campaign has been launched urging to people to take their rubbish home after "unacceptable" amounts of litter were left strewn across Leeds parks.
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Signage and banners urging visitors dispose of their rubbish in a proper way are now on display at community parks and green spaces across the city.

Undertaken by Leeds City Council the new campaign is in response to a significant rise in litter and rubbish left in parks in the past year.

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It comes after the council expressed its frustration after a huge amount of rubbish was left on Woodhouse Moor in Hyde Park in March.

Rubbish left on Woodhouse Moor. Photo: James HardistyRubbish left on Woodhouse Moor. Photo: James Hardisty
Rubbish left on Woodhouse Moor. Photo: James Hardisty
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The council said it had to divert workers from other parts of the city to assist in the clean-up.

The new campaign has been launched in an attempt to stop the rise in littering that the council has seen over the last year.

A new campaign launched by Leeds Council urging people to dispose of their rubbish properly.A new campaign launched by Leeds Council urging people to dispose of their rubbish properly.
A new campaign launched by Leeds Council urging people to dispose of their rubbish properly.
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It added that the recent good weather led to more visitors and more litter, so it aims to stop this trend with summer aorund the corner.

The council is again asking that visitors please bring bags with them to take their rubbish home or dispose of their rubbish in an appropriate and sensible manner.

This will protect not only the parks but also animals and wildlife.

Councillor Denise Ragan, Leeds City Council’s lead member for environment and active lifestyles, said: “We are very proud of our parks and green spaces, which have been so important to people of all ages over the last year. Unfortunately we have seen a rise in litter along with increased visitor numbers to our parks across the city.

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“This is the reason why we have started a campaign at a number of our parks to urge people to please take their rubbish home or dispose of it appropriately.

"I cannot emphasise enough how important this message is to keep our parks and green spaces looking fantastic and protect the wellbeing of animals and wildlife.

“The scenes we’ve seen at some parks, and the sheer volume of litter that has been left on these green spaces, is completely unacceptable.

"We need every single visitor to our community parks and green spaces to show personal responsibility and take their litter home or dispose of it acceptably.

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"If you are planning to stay a while and bring food or drink or any other disposable items, please bring bags with you.

“I hope this campaign will help spread this vital message, especially as we approach the busy summer months.”

A similar stop littering campaign undertaken by the council in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy was very well received last summer, and the council is hoping for similar success this year.

The campaign is promoting the message that whilst enjoying the parks on offer and their many benefits in terms of both mental and physical health, visitors should always respect the green spaces.