PARISH councillors in the Upper Itchen Valley have rolled up their sleeves to clear rubbish.

Detritus from an illegal encampment has blighted Itchen Wood for many a year. Old fridges, a TV, rusting scrap metal, tyres, shoes, carpets and plastic drink and food containers are just some of the items that can be seen at the beauty spot in Itchen Valleys Parish Council’s (IVPC) area.

This eyesore should have been tackled by the landowner, the Forestry Commission, but given they proved reluctant to take timely and effective action, the IVPC environmental working group stepped in.

Councillors gathered on Sunday and the clean-up took two hours and resulted in an overflowing trailer-load of rubbish. Alas, having borrowed a trailer, the rubbish could not be disposed of immediately due to the restrictive rules on car registrations and trailers at Hampshire County Councils (HCC) Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Alresford, thereby thwarting our eco warriors’ ability to safely dispose of their spoils. But then the County Council’s ridiculous booking regime at the tips is perhaps a campaign for our attention on another day?

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The chairman of the environmental working group Cllr Steve Percy, from Easton, said: “We’re an energetic group that is keen to make a difference for our residents by direct action. I’d like to thank all those that gave up their Sunday morning to finally rid us of this dangerous and unsightly mess.”

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