Port Meadow's 'deluge of rubbish' kills cow and injures horses

A cow has died and several animals have been injured amid a "huge increase in litter" at a beauty spot.

Workers at Port Meadow, Oxford, have been clearing three tonnes of waste each day from the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Crowds, who have been flocking to the site, have "negatively impacted" the resident ponies, horses and cattle, Oxford City Council said.

The cow which died had eaten plastic bags and balloons.

Five horses have also been injured and ten cattle have sustained glass cuts, the authority said.

It blamed a surge in "late night get-togethers, mainly of young people", since some lockdown regulations were relaxed.

"The problem has been made worse by the warm weather attracting more and more people to the area," the council said.

Linda Smith, cabinet member for leisure and parks, said: "It only takes a few selfish, thoughtless individuals to spoil it for everyone else by leaving litter around."

She said the council was looking to increase enforcement activity over the summer and would issue fines if people were caught littering.