'It makes my blood boil': Outrage as huge amounts of litter left across Sandwell Valley Country Park amid heatwave

Vicky Lowe, who lives in West Bromwich, was out on a walk at Sandwell Valley Country Park this morning (Wednesday 25 May), and instead of having a nice leisurely time her “blood was boiling”.

Ms Lowe said she was “outraged” as she saw huge amounts of litter left behind at the park.

She told the Express & Star: “It’s outrageous that this has been left like this. It makes my blood boil.

“I have a 4-year-old grandson that has cried this morning because of the animals that have to live by it all. It is so sad to see and things need to be done to stop this.

“It is one of the worst instances I’ve seen of litter at the park - it’s getting worse”.

Ms Lowe sent videos and pictures to the Express & Star showing the litter left at the park and bins overflowing.

A user on Facebook posted on the group ‘I live in West Bromwich’ yesterday (Tuesday 26 May) also complaining of the state of the park after the heatwave.

She said: “The state of Sandwell Valley after the heatwave is absolutely disgusting. Trash everywhere, just left behind by dirty people; nappies, towels, pants, food, empty packets, broken glass, this list goes on.

“If you were at Sandwell over the weekend and left your trash behind, you should be ashamed. The fact people were up there today putting their blankets and towels out to lie among the rubbish on the floor... just grim”.

One user commented that there “needs to be more workers patrolling the area” while another user suggested the idea of introducing “fines”, adding “I think at this point this is the only thing people will understand.”

It comes as temperatures have soared in recent days in the Black Country amid a heatwave. Temperatures have hit highs of up to 33C - and many have been enjoying the sun at parks and pools in the region.

Sandwell Council said in a statement: “Sandwell Council would like to highlight that during the recent bank holiday weekend, the extremely hot weather led to a significant increase in visitor numbers at Sandwell Valley and Dartmouth Park, which in turn resulted in a substantial rise in litter.

“Whilst additional resources were deployed to help manage the situation, the sheer volume of waste proved challenging to keep up with. Sandwell Valley and Dartmouth Park are valued community assets, enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors each year, and we are proud to offer these spaces for everyone to enjoy.

“We kindly urge all visitors to treat these areas with respect by using the bins provided. If bins are full, please take your waste home and dispose of it responsibly to help keep our parks clean and safe for all.

“The penalty for littering our green spaces is £500 and we will take enforcement action.”