Litterbugs spoil Grantham’s Hills and Hollows

A dog walker has slammed litterbugs who have left rubbish strewn on the Hills and Hollows where she and other owners take their pets.

Mary Marshall has been collecting litter for 28 years on her daily walks with her dogs. She said that dog owners are constantly criticised for not picking up dog poo, but she says they get a raw deal while others are dumping their rubbish in the countryside.

Mary, 63, of Turnor Road, and her late husband Kevin won the Tom Childs Memorial Award from Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without Parish Council in 2010 for their efforts in clearing up the Hills and Hollows of litter.

On Friday, Mary and a friend collected four bags of rubbish on their walk. Mary said: “Me and my dog walking friend picked up three carrier bags of rubbish and one bin bag of recycling today at the Hills and Hollows. How long would this have taken to disappear? A lot longer than dog poo. There is also broken glass in that pile. What lowlife scum thinks they can come out into the countryside and leave this mess? Angry is not a strong enough word how I feel about this.

“I always have poo bags and pick up poo and I know it is a big problem especially on pavements, etc. To be honest I’ve litter picked for years, but it’s more recently that I have felt that dog walkers are being got at and I wanted to point out what else is going on. If there had been dog muck there it would have disappeared in a few days. That rubbish would be here until the end of the world if someone didn’t pick it up.”

Clerk to Londonthorpe and Harrowby Without Parish Council Peter Armstrong said: “Mary and her husband tidied up this area for years, even before this council purchased it.

“We are putting out a plea to people to please look after the area. It is a conservation area as far as we are concerned.”

Council vice-chairman Paul Bakker said: “It’s a case of a few people spoiling it for the majority.”