Big clean-up after fun in the snow

But volunteers had to spend more than two hours cleaning rubbish from Bolton’s Bench in Lyndhurst yesterday after it was trashed by people using it for sledding in the snow.

The volunteers, today’s Big Chill Heroes, cleared more than 20 binbags of rubbish from the New Forest landmark left by the visitors which included children’s wellies, beer cans, broken plastic and makeshift sleds.

Vandals even ripped out wooden fences marking the road so that sledders were not obstructed.

Lyndhurst residents Suzi Woodgate, Sally Condra and Sarah Short were so disgusted with the mess that they took matters into their own hands, launching their own clean-up operation, alongside a New Forest District Council (NFDC) litter picker and staff from the Forestry Commission.

Suzi, 40, said: “Thousands of people have been visiting Bolton’s Bench because of the snow but they have left a real mess.

“A few of us local mums decided enough was enough and got together to help clean the place up.

“We’ve had to clear up children’s wellies, loads of beer cans, bits of broken sleds.

“They’ve torn off the wood from the partition which separates the road from the Bench.

“Because they’ve wanted to extend their sledding area they have just ripped a couple of sections out so they can slide across the road.

“I have lived in Lyndhurst since I was ten and I have never seen anything like it. In the summer people come up here for picnics and walks and they don’t leave a mess.

“I can’t understand why just because it is snowing people think it is acceptable to behave like this.”

A spokesman for NFDC said: “While snowball fights and sledding in the snowy conditions might be fun, we would like to remind people to be respectful of the environment and others when enjoying outdoor activities, disposing of your litter sensibly or taking it home ensures that the New Forest remains a special place for everyone to enjoy.”

A Forestry Commission worker added: “There are other sites in the forest that have been used for sledding but none of them have been left so covered in rubbish.

“I have never seen it so bad.”