Sheffield council clear SEVEN TONNES of rubbish after thousands gather at Endcliffe Park

Huge crowds were seen gathered in Endcliffe Park yesterday, with many drinking into the early hours of this morning.

An emergency clean-up operation was mounted earlier today when outraged local residents woke up to a sea of litter covering the grass in the park.

Sheffield City Council, in a statement, said six large 200-litre bins were added to the park and were already in place yesterday and a further six were made available today.

The smaller parks bins were emptied four times yesterday but they had safety challenges in emptying the larger bins with so many people in the park.

Therefore, added the council, the clean-up operation could only be mounted this morning when it was quiet.

Wardens will also be in the park from 2pm until 7pm today, reminding and advising people and handing out black bags and they are warned that fixed penalty notices will be issued if people are witnessed leaving rubbish behind.

Ruth Bell, Head of Parks and Countryside at Sheffield City Council, said: “We understand that people want to make the most of the lovely weather and the chance to meet with others outdoors. Our parks have been a lifeline for local people during the pandemic and we want everyone to be able to enjoy them.

“This morning, with thanks to our partners at Amey & Veolia, and the efforts of some fantastic local volunteers, we removed around seven tonnes of waste from Endcliffe Park, with lots being left on the field by those who couldn't be bothered to get rid of it properly. There's really no excuse for this and those who can't treat our parks with respect shouldn't be in them.

“We always try to anticipate demand and had expected an increase with the sunny weather. Several additional large bins were placed around the park to help manage this, as well as increasing the number of times our regular bins are emptied. Unfortunately there are too many people in the park for the larger bins to be emptied safely throughout the day.

“Wardens will be patrolling the area as well as officers from South Yorkshire Police to advise and remind people what is expected of them, and will issue fines to those seen leaving rubbish in the park.

“We have hundreds of other parks to manage, which presents huge challenges to our resources. At a time when the council has had to step up vastly to support our communities, the efforts and costs of dealing with this waste could be far better spent.

"Endcliffe is just one of more than 800 wonderful green spaces in Sheffield and we're encouraging people to try somewhere different to avoid crowds and keep as safe as possible.

“Lastly we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who did get rid of their rubbish and to all those who helped with the clean up today, we can't thank you enough."