Milton Keynes dubbed 'Trash City' due to amount of litter dropped by residents

An angry resident has slammed Milton Keynes as a ‘disgrace’ due to the amount of litter on verges and around some fast food restaurants.

And other people on social media have dubbed MK ‘Trash City’, saying litter is becoming a growing problem.

Some – including a group of five-year-old children - have taken matters into their own hands and performed litter picks to spruce up their own areas.

This week resident Simon Stokes has called for a public campaign to keep the city neat and tidy.

He said: “For a long time now, when you drive, the amount of trash seen on the verges is a total disgrace. Despite the focus on environmental damage MK is simply an embarrassment.

“I have seen crews out to clean and while this is appreciated, it is clearly not enough.”

Simon added: “As a boy, I remember in the 70s the constant adverts to 'keep Britain tidy', which focused on our personal responsibility not to dump our trash.”

He wants to raise awareness of the problem, which he says is always worse around bus stops and McDonalds.

"We have a responsibility to clean up after ourselves ... No-one seems to care. The whole city needs a wake up call,” he said.

Yesterday (Sunday) a group of caring five-year-olds decided to tackle the growing litter problem on their own estate -Brooklands.

One of their mums, Shradha Sharda, said: “We currently have a litter problem in Brooklands Square… My 5 year old daughter and a few of her friends have taken matters in to their own hands.”

Broughton and Milton Keynes Parish Council loaned the children us all the kit to litter pick safely and the youngster collected three brimming bins bags full.

Shadra said: “Soiled nappies, empty vapes, poppers and cigarette butts were just a few of the treasures found around the Square. Well done to these mini litter pickers who took part in keeping Brooklands clean.”

In January last year, MK Council recruited a crew of special litter wardens to patrol city streets and issue fines to £125 to people caught dropping litter.

The move reflects the Labour/Liberal Democrat council’s zero- tolerance approach to litterers and fly-tippers.