Visitors blamed for high levels of dog fouling and litter in Northumberland coastal village over Christmas and New Year

Parish councillors believe the blame lies with visitors to the seaside village over Christmas and New Year.

Coun Maureen Bramley, speaking at the January meeting of North Sunderland Parish Council, said: “While it’s nice to see all the visitors here over Christmas, there has been an increase in dog mess. Visitors don’t seem to be bothered. They pile in here on holiday and seem to think their dogs can do what they want.”

Coun George Price added: “In the back streets, where a lot of holidaymakers cut through, there are chip shop boxes, papers and dog muck and it’s not being cleaned up by the (county) council.

“All around the village it’s getting worse and it needs something done to make the place look nice and tidy and clean.”

He highlighted Chapel Row as one problem area, where he had picked up a bag load of rubbish himself.

“You shouldn’t have to do that, it should be the council,” he said.

He also complained about the dangerous state of the pavements in that area due to pigeon droppings.

“When it rains it gets really slippy there,” he said.

Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, Bamburgh ward member on Northumberland County Council, urged residents to let the authority know about problem areas.

“That time of year is a very busy one with thousands of people in the village – which is no excuse but that’s why there’s more litter,” he said.

“You’ve got to keep telling us when there are problem spots because if the council don’t know about it they won’t be able to do anything.

“We have got to press upon people that it’s their responsibility not to litter in the first place but we could look at further working between the parish and county council.

“We can also keep lobbying the county council for more resources in the village but there will be a better chance of doing that if the parish would put something in as well.”