ANGER and frustration has been expressed over littering and anti-social behaviour at playing fields in Caversham.
After a recent party, vodka bottles, glass bottles and cans were left at Mapledurham Playing Fields in Caversham Heights.
Cllr Isobel Ballsdon, Conservative representative for Caversham Heights, has highlighted the issue and is frustrated at those who don’t clean up after themselves.
She said: “It’s ingrained in me to not drop litter and take care of the countryside, open spaces and roads, because litter brings an area down and leads to bigger problems like vandalism.
“It just shows a lack of respect, a lack of care and a lack of pride.
“Litter makes the place look ugly and spoils the area.”
Cllr Ballsdon conducted a clean up on Sunday, May 29, the morning after the party took place.
She also found a missing handbag during the sweep of the area, which she was able to give back to its owner.
Although initiatives like Keep Caversham Tidy engage in litter picks, Cllr Ballsdon argued users of the playing fields are collectively responsible for keeping it free of waste.
Cllr Ballsdon said: “Groups like Keep Caversham Tidy do a wonderful job keeping spaces free of litter in Caversham.
“That said, we all have an obligation to ourselves and to the environment to look after our public spaces.
“None of us want to go to a park and find it strewn with litter. I’d ask users of Mapledurham Playing Fields to respect others and clear up after themselves.”
There are major fears among dog owners that their pets feet could get cut from smashed glass bottles.
Cllr Ballsdon said: “One of my residents has a dog who was badly injured by the broken glass left in a woodland area of the fields.
“The poor dog had to be confined in a room for two to three months, because the glass cut an artery, requiring extensive surgery.
“People need to take responsibility for their actions.”
In some cases, parties have been reported to Thames Valley Police following complaints of people acting in a threatening manner towards neighbours.
Some residents feel upgrades to the fields have attracted anti-social behaviour from teens that never existed previously.
Martin Brommell, a member of the Warren and District Residents Association, said lights from the playing field pavilion and tennis club and new benches provide a “ready made area” for teens to drink, smoke and play loud music.
Inspector Sarah Sanderson, of the Thames Valley Police Reading Neighbourhood Team, has encouraged neighbours to report crime and anti-social behaviour by calling 101 or reporting it online.
She said: “Officers may not always be able to attend the incident at the time of the report, but we continue to encourage the public to report incidents as it helps to build up a picture of what is happening in our local communities and we can take appropriate action.”
