Drug users and fly tippers blighting Sheffield woodland, say residents

Residents have pleaded with councillors to stop drug users and fly tippers ruining a Sheffield woodland.
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Karen Malone presented a 47 name petition on behalf of a Pitsmoor litter picking group which looks after Petre Street woodland.

Ms Malone said: “There’s a few members of the group that go every Saturday morning to try and clear out the woodland as it’s full of fly tipping, needles and litter.

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“All the undergrowth needs clearing out, we don’t want the trees and bushes to be affected for the wildlife but it needs making safe for people and pets to go in.

Fly-tipping at the woodland.Fly-tipping at the woodland.
Fly-tipping at the woodland.

“The main thing is cutting back the bushes and thinning out the trees to expose the drug dealers in there because there’s a lot of drug activity taking place.

“There’s piles of needles under several trees, we have got sharps bins that we use, but there’s just so many needles.”

Drug use, fly tipping and litter in woodland

Ms Malone said fly tipping and litter was also a big problem.

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“There’s a skip yard just at the back and it’s not fenced off so all the litter that’s piled high is blowing all over – that needs fencing off adequately.

“We’d like cameras put up in the area because people come from as far as Doncaster to offload their rubbish.

“People that have lived in the area for decades want to be able to walk the dog, to go through as a family and enjoy the woodland.”

Coun Douglas Johnson thanked the litter pickers and said he would speak to officers.

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“It’s an area of woodland I know with a lot of potential and it has been underused but the people who have used it have found it quite a relaxing area.

“It’s very sad when woodland gets overrun with drug use and once you start finding needles in there, it becomes a no-go area for so many people.

“I would always encourage people to continue to report fly tipping. As well as getting it cleared up, it’s very helpful for our Streets Ahead team to have a log of when these incidents are happening or the type of firm.”