Forum Topic

Newspaper litter

There appears to be a rather sick man who spends a great deal of time carefully ripping up free newspapers into about three or four segments and then throwing them on the ground causing masses of litter. Prime areas for his anti-social activities appear to be the Avenue, South Parade, Bedford Road, Acton Green, Acton Green Common and the open space around St Michael and All Angels Church. As a regular litter-picker utilising the LAGER blue bags, his actions are infuriating. I'd assumed he was a nocturnal creature but one of my sons saw him dumping papers on South Parade opposite Lavellis cafe about Saturday midday. He tells me he's a man about forty, wearing tracksuit bottoms and with brownish curly hair. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has seen him and knows anything about him. He's been doing this for several months now.

Thomas Edward Francis Sutherland ● 8d16 Comments

Mere shreds of evidence.

Sonia Beddington ● 3h

Has he not left a trail of evidence?

Davy Jones ● 16h

I did, strangely enough, come across ripped-up newspaper today at the side of Leyland, but not a great amount. But it was perfectly ripped into whole long strips and made me think of this situation.

Julian Pavey ● 2d

Most of them appear to be copies of Metro which I suspect he gets from outside tube stations and possibly other locations that display these papers.Interesting suggestion that he's disposing of free papers he's been paid to deliver. I think it's unlikely as it would be far easier just to dump them in the many builders' skips that are all over Chiswick.He was active this Sunday with masses of ripped paper round St Michael and All Angels church.

Thomas Edward Francis Sutherland ● 2d

Do we know what the ripped papers are? If there are so many, they must be from some publication. Could it be a free paper that he is being paid to deliver but is disposing of instead of delivering? These papers must come from somewhere.

Julian Pavey ● 3d

Your original post stated that the man doing this is ‘sick’. I totally agree that what he is doing is unacceptable. He appears to be someone in need of help.

Stewart Jones ● 3d

Clearing up litter by the bicycle stand opposite Turnham Green station I noticed a huge pile of free papers hidden under one of the bushes. I managed to dump all of them in one of the bins on Acton Green. I suspect it was a hoard of our problem man. Today, Saturday, he has again been in action, with masses of ripped up papers dumped in Bedford Road and on the paved areas around the small green in front of St Michael and All Angels church hall. I’m trying to tell as many people as possible in the hope someone might actually see him in action.

Thomas Edward Francis Sutherland ● 3d

Surely he could be arrested for littering?

Steve Taylor ● 6d

Thank you, Joanna, for confirming this anti-social individual's activities extend over a wide area of Hounslow as well as Ealing. I have reported him to Ealing council's safer communities team who sent me a helpful response. It would be great if someone, without any risk to themselves, was able to film him in action. When I went for a walk Wednesday pm he'd littered a stretch of Bedford Road by its junction with the Avenue. A passer by told me he'd also been active on the High Road.

Thomas Edward Francis Sutherland ● 6d

Yes, animals had their own medal - the Dickin Medal for Gallantry https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2020/07/03/brave-pigeons-of-wartime/

Philippa Bond ● 7d

Litter louts are a really big curseand some parts of the Borough are especially suffering ... no names! Equally unhelpful citizens who contaminate Recycling Bins with inappropiate items are a curse too.Millions of cigarette ends(dog ends)...dropped everywhere ... have to be gathered up by others.What a messy environment. What do our Japanese residents and visitors think?

Jim Lawes ● 7d

A bit hard to have a go at the pigeons when we are celebrating the anniversary of VE Day - carrier pigeons provided a vital messaging service during the World Wars. Happily they did not also go in for blowing things up, unlike their modern successors the drones.

Richard Greenhough ● 8d

I do wish people could differentiate between sharing a few crumbs with their feathered friends and taking and chucking the contents of whole bags of bread at them.  There have been some instances of fines followed by letters of outrage in the local press.  Unfortunately it is often the easy targets who get fined when fining may well not be the best of solutions to the problem for anyone.

Philippa Bond ● 8d

Not to mention the man who has turned up by the water fountain lately and is feeding the pigeons. The number of pigeons, from what I see lately, has increased. More shit everywhere

Julian Pavey ● 8d

Thanks for that very useful background which I will pass on. One resident has seen it over several weeks along Gunnersbury Avenue especially around the Power Road bridge section. We thought it was limited to that area then, on Saturday, I saw strips along Heathfield Terrace and realised it was more widespread. If anyone has any more information, please let me know: joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk

Joanna Biddolph ● 8d

Well reported.Let's hope this brat gets caughtand fined the £1000 publiced penalty

Jim Lawes ● 8d