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Mayor calls for 10k emergency litter pick

Charlie Stubbsin Market Drayton
News imageBBC There is a man with a dark,navy-blue jacket which is slightly zipped up. He has a white shirt on underneath it. He has grey receeding hair and stubble facial hair.BBC
Tim Manton is the mayor of Market Drayton

The mayor of Market Drayton is urging people to join him for an "emergency litter pick" the day before people are due to descend on the town, for a 10k race.

Tim Manton said the 160 bins had been overflowing ever since Shropshire Council changed its contract, which had lead to litter blowing on to the streets.

He added, ahead of the Market Drayton 10k on Sunday, he did not want people to have a negative view of the town.

Shropshire Council said changing its contractor had caused "delays" as new staff had been learning routes and procedures.

The litter pick was organised by the mayor as a call-to-action as he believed Shropshire Council had "let the town down".

He added the authority had "been receptive" in emptying the bins, but thought the contract transition "hadn't gone smoothly".

News imageTim Manton There is a tall black bin which is overflowing with litter. On the floor is rubbish including a Yazoo bottle, an orange boost bottle, a gregs wrapper and a haribo goldbears wrapper. On top of the bin, there is rubbish piled on top of a big Dominos box.Tim Manton
The mayor said full bins were causing litter to blow on to the floor

People who live in Market Drayton seem to be split on whether it was as big an issue.

"The bin state in the last few weeks has been dire, because you do spot overflowing bins - sadly people are then putting rubbish beside the bins which makes them even more unsightly," resident George Ruddock said.

Market trader Mandy Owen said she often spotted bins overflowing when she was getting her stall ready.

"For the last four or five weeks, the bins have been full to capacity and overflowing, which never used to be the case," she said.

"I'm not the most observant person, but the bins, definitely on the car park as well, are full to capacity."

Anne Keane, however, said that while it could be bad at the weekends, overall she saw Market Drayton as a "clean market town".

"I've not come across any bin that has been overflowing. Even today we have walked around and I have not seen litter anywhere," she said.

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