Council hits out at dirty town

Kirkby Stephen Parish Council has blasted dog owners, litter bugs, a pub and the grammar school for ruining the appearance of parts of the town.

Parish clerk Heb Lumley fired a withering attack at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, saying he was "more than disappointed" at the state of the school's entrance.

Speaking personally, he said: "If they had any pride at all, they would clear it up."

Empty crisp packets and chocolate wrappers gathered around the entrance, he said, adding: "I said in a very loud voice that I was disappointed. When I was at Appleby Grammar School, it simply wouldn't have happened."

He added that Silver Street Gardens was overflowing with "remnants of take-away meals stuffed under the shrubs and bushes".

He filled the street bin outside with the unsightly trash and spotted weeds coming up between the flags.

He said: "It struck me it's not a very good advert."

Irresponsible dog owners were leaving bags of dog faeces nestling between the raspberry bushes by the cricket pavilion, according to Coun Sheila Wilkinson: "They are just dumping it. It's just awful."

Coun Colin Albon added that despite occasional purges, the back of the Pennine pub was in "a hell of a state".

He urged councillors to get more members of the community interested in improving the town's environment.

Parish chairman Coun Shiela Haughey said: "We obviously do have a problem. We are going to have to address this."

She said some parts of the town had not received any maintenance for two years.

"This was particularly obvious at the poetry path opening last Wednesday where people couldn't sit because there were nettles."

Hedge cutting at Eden Side and Franks Bridge is also needed but the council were told there was no money available for work this year.

However, Mr Lumley said he had raised the subject to warn councillors they would need to set aside more money for maintenance next year.

Kirkby Stephen Grammar School head teacher David Keetley was not available for comment.