Wrekin walkers exasperated with dog poo bag litter

Walkers at a Shropshire beauty spot have hit out at the scale of litter and dog waste abandoned.

Dave Daniels, who walks The Wrekin almost every day and is a volunteer litter picker, said it was "endless".

He refuses to collect dog waste bags which are tied to branches and trees and said he's also seen nappies and cans left on the hillside.

The Wrekin's private owners, The Raby Estate, said it would review how to encourage visitors not to litter.

Mr Daniels, from Lawley, started walking up The Wrekin, a hill in East Shropshire, in 2005 and since then it has become part of his daily routine and "a big part of my life".

Seeing all the litter is "really frustrating," he said. "It makes my teeth itch."

When the BBC visited, 50 dog poo bags were counted in the space of about 500m (546yds) and Mr Daniels said it was often much worse.

"They're everywhere, everywhere," he said.

"Some people just leave them, tie them to branches, to trees, they're not going to biodegrade."

Mr Daniels said the problem was particularly acute during lockdown when people could not meet indoors or go to the gym.

"Even though it's bad now, it was horrendous then," he said.

The Wrekin's owners said it takes the litter "very seriously" and Telford and Wrekin Council has said it would be willing to work with the estate to provide advice and guidance.

The council said dog fouling was "not only deeply unpleasant" but also "dangerous and one of the most offensive types of litter".

"The countryside code, which is widely accessible online, offers suitable guidance on how to enjoy these outside spaces so as not to spoil the experience for others," said Charlotte Marrison from the Raby Estate.

"We would ask everyone using this beautiful landscape to be respectful to others and follow the countryside code."

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