DOG walkers and ramblers are blighting one of Ely’s most idyllic wild spaces with their carelessly discarded rubbish, campaigners have said.

Liz Hunter, chairman of the Local Campaign for the Protection of Rural Ely (LCPRE), says that the paths and fields of Ely’s Roswell Pits and Pocket Park are being ruined by piles of deliberately discarded rubbish and dog dirt.

Mrs Hunter told the Ely Standard that on one litter pick, volunteers collected more than a TON of litter, with everything from cans and wrappers to microwaves and even a trampoline discarded.

“I came down here twice a day on most days and it’s always covered in litter,” said Mrs Hunter.

“We have had a trampoline, a microwave and a whole car engine dumped by the river and we had had 20 bags of dogs’ mess out of a ditch. There are even people who leave it tied to trees in bags.”

Mrs Hunter says the problem has been ongoing for years and the Ely-based campaigner is calling on people who use the park and commons to take responsibility for its welfare.

“I believe it is the job of the people who use this area to keep it nice and clean. The way it is left now is dangerous to wildlife and what we want to do is engage people to use the space in a more positive way.

“It is a very precious thing to Ely and parts of it are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), most towns would die to have that.”

To help combat the problem, Mrs Hunter and the LCPRE have organised a litter pick, set to take place on Saturday, March 31 at the Riverside, Roswell and at Pocket Park.

Anyone interested in volunteering should meet the group at the top of Kiln Lane at 2pm. Refreshments will be provided.