Residents in London have become frustrated by people using local parks over the weekend to socialise, claiming there was been 'huge nuisance' from the public, including 'urination and defecation'.
Large crowds gathered in parks up and down the country this weekend to enjoy the weather as lockdown measures begin to lift, with various pubs and bars offering a takeaway service for people to stock up on booze.
But locals in Hackney have grown angry at the state that popular areas like London Fields have been left in, with one writing in a thread on Twitter: "Situation in #londonfields#hackney over past weeks. Large crowds, small park, saturation take-away alcohol & food. Toilets open & numerous bins but numbers, intoxication & lack of personal responsibility = huge nuisance, public urination & defecation, litter & offending."
"@hackneycouncilput measures in place - patrols, signage, fencing off hot-spots - but it's not brought problem under control. Enforcement in park displaces problem. Park is jumble of bins & signs. W/out numbers & real power enforcement under-resourced. #hackney#londonfields.
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"Isn't just #londonfields or #hackney issue but result of: take-away licenses encouraged, lockdown relaxed chaotically, social distancing undermined, park use promoted while toilets closed. Government that couldn't organise a p*** up in a brewery managed to cause one in a park."
They praised the efforts of Hackney Council and the work of some venues like Pub on the Park - whose staff had been out doing litter patrols - but said the situation was 'deeply damaging' to the area and its residents.
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"They have spent ages in lockdown, only now to watch 1000s of people carousing outside, soiling outside their windows & getting abuse if they remonstrate," the Twitter user added.
Before the weekend, Hackney Council urged people to 'respect the borough's parks' following 'unacceptable scenes at London Fields' the weekend before, with residents reporting significant disruption to their lives in recent weeks.
Cllr Jon Burke - Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm - said: "London Fields is not a festival site - it's for everyone in the community. Yet again, last weekend saw thoroughly unacceptable behaviour in the park, with sound systems, urinating, defecating, excessive amounts of litter and noise well into the night."
A statement from the council added: "The Council has already put extensive measures in place to manage issues and prevent damage at London Fields and other parks: installing large bins, opening toilets (with additional cleaning), implementing additional summer waste collections earlier than usual, issuing over 300 fines for urinating and littering across Hackney, and printing dozens of banners reminding people of the guidance.
"Following people's behaviour over the last few weeks, there will now be additional security guards at London Fields this weekend to support parks and enforcement staff to keep it safe and clean.
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"The Council is also investigating further legal measures to tackle the issues, which it will announce next week, and it will recruit additional enforcement officers for the borough's parks and other areas over the summer."
The council also encouraged people to take rubbish home with them or use bins provided, go home to use the toilet (and only use the parks' loos if this wasn't possible) and to treat each other, the park and its neighbours with respect.
LADbible has contacted Hackney Council for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@LundunFeeldz
