Yobs litter Welshpool recreation ground with broken beer bottles

Welshpool Town Council said it wants to step up action to tackle the anti-social behaviour which is blighting the town, especially at the Maes y Dre Recreation Ground and the Country Park near the Flash Leisure Centre.

Town clerk Robert Robinson told last night's meeting of Welshpool Town Council that eight black bin bags of broken bottles were collected from the ground during one clean-up earlier this month and councillors have vowed to help tackle the issue.

The council will look at the possibility of installing a security light or better CCTV at the Recreation Ground and have also asked Dyfed-Powys Police to step up patrols.

Mr Robinson said: "The mayor Councillor Malcolm Douglass has asked us to discuss this matter because it is a problem we as a town are facing.

"There has been the usual problem with litter and broken beer bottles at Maes y Dre but things have got slightly better at the country park.

"At Maes y Dre it took two staff seven hours to clean it up one Monday morning and they had seven or eight sacks of rubbish containing broken beer bottles at the end of it.

"There is also the problem of rubbish and dirty nappies being dumped. The sad thing is, there are bins there which are not even full so it is pure anti-social."

Mr Robinson said there was less rubbish this past Monday, but said the situation was continuing.

Councillor Douglass said: "I was lost for words when I saw the mess two weeks ago and it something we have really got to look at and tackle."

Mr Robinson said the council had asked police officers to step up patrols and while it had happened, the youths responsible would flee only to return later.

"There can't be an officer there all night, there just isn't the resources for it," he added.

Councillor Phil Pritchard said: "There should be a light installed because at the moment the CCTV can't pick up anything at night. We can see people are there, but we don't know who.

"If we can install a low voltage light then we could get faces. I want to see that as a council the essence is you will not get away with this, we will bring you to justice and punish you."

Mr Robinson added that Dyfed-Powys Police Commissioner Christopher Salmon had been due to attend the town council meeting after a visit to Welshpool in the day but will now meet councillors on September 3 instead.

Councillor Ann Holloway said: "I spoke to Mr Salmon and I want to see him meet us as a group and I told him that."