A spate of graffiti and fly tipping has caused a group of Spalding volunteers to call for more action from others.
The Wombles of Spalding Common has members out most days collecting litter, tidying up and even spraying over graffiti around the town.
But events over the last week has seen a surge in graffiti, including on the offices of the district council and at the town’s skate park.
And yet more fly tipping and broken glass has pushed some members of the group, created in 2021 to speak out.
“The fly tipping, the litter and the graffiti is just too much. Never in my life have I experienced this. We are supposedly a little market town but it’s becoming a slum,” said one member.
“I’m embarrassed and ashamed of where I live for the first time in my life,” they added.
The volunteers have collected thousands of bags of rubbish over the last three years and have become an integral part of town life.
A member of the team went to the town skatepark at the weekend only to find a pile of broken glass.
Another member collected 27 bags of rubbish on one day and saw plenty of black bags put out by residents for collection – but days early.
“Holland Road car park was like The Generation Game, television, horse, tins of paint, clothes, bag of cat litter, shoes, designer pants,” said another Wombles member.
The graffiti appeared at the town’s skatepark and also over several utility boxes around the town before the council offices were targeted.
A mural on the former offices at Calthrops Building was also defaced.
Coun Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council, said its team had ‘acted swiftly to remove the graffiti on its own property.
“In relation to all graffiti, we take the matter seriously and we will continue to work with partner agencies to assess any evidence to identify those responsible and take appropriate action,” he said. “Our goal is to ensure that our town remains a welcoming and well-maintained environment for all residents and visitors.”
