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Another Fine Mess in Dover Facebook page, from Augusta Pearson, records rubbish and litter in the town

Litter surrounding an EMPTIED street bin, weeds invading a telephone box and bin bags left out for seagulls to tear into.

The dirt disease in Dover, like in the rest of the country, is still festering, as recorded in photographs by clean-up campaigner Augusta Pearson.

The grisly gallery is published in the Facebook page Another Fine Mess in Dover, which she co-manages.

Trash strewn around an emptied bin at the seafront entrance to the A20 Townwall Street underpass,, Dover. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID
Trash strewn around an emptied bin at the seafront entrance to the A20 Townwall Street underpass,, Dover. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID
The comfy chair? Discarded armchair at Green Lane, Buckland Estate. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID
The comfy chair? Discarded armchair at Green Lane, Buckland Estate. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID

Other pictures from the last couple of months show an armchair left in undergrowth, wheelie and litter bins overflowing and unpublishable images of men urinating against walls and faeces on pavements.

The page also records efforts by herself and other volunteers to keep Dover clean, with bags of litter filled from just a few small streets.

She told the Kent Online: "We are finding more rubbish all the time and places that were cleansed by Dover District Council services get littered again within no time at all.

"We certainly have a problem in Dover.

"Once I was helping clean the River Dour at Pencester Gardens and a man three a bottle into the water even though he was next to the bin."

Clean-up campaigner Augusta Pearson
Clean-up campaigner Augusta Pearson

Mrs Pearson, of Branch Street, Dover, recorded examples of bin bags left out on front yards or pavements, which could be torn open by rats and seagulls.

One case was outside the former Admiral Harvey pub in Bridge Street, on October 4, and another at Dover High Street two days later.

With the Bridge Street case she commented on the Facebook page: "So whoever put it there is quite happy for everybody else to put up with the mess as it is a bigger mess when seagulls tear the bags and even more rats run along the pavement."

The picture of the old armchair, in Green Lane, Buckland, was posted on September 26 and was among pieces of smaller rubbish scattered around. Mrs Pearson said in the post: "I would say it would require a van and at least 10 bags to get all the litter and fly tipping cleaned up."

An image was posted on September 21 of a telephone box at Buckland Bridge with a broken pane and tall weeds growing inside it.

Greenhouse gaffe? A weed-infested telephone box at Buckland Bridge. Picture:Augusta Pearson, AFMID
Greenhouse gaffe? A weed-infested telephone box at Buckland Bridge. Picture:Augusta Pearson, AFMID
A shopping trolley with rubbish left near Dover's Bleriot Memorial. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID
A shopping trolley with rubbish left near Dover's Bleriot Memorial. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID

A shopping trolley full of rubbish was found in a wooded area near Dover's Bleriot memorial at Guston. That image was posted on October 2.

A picture of an overflowing rubbish bin outside the Charlton Shopping Centre in the High Street was uploaded on September 29.

Overflowing litter bin, outside Charlton Shopping Centre. Picture:Augusta Pearson, AFMID
Overflowing litter bin, outside Charlton Shopping Centre. Picture:Augusta Pearson, AFMID

But trash was found strewn around an emptied litter bin at the seafront entrance to the A20 Townwall Street underpass, with the image posed on September 17.

Also close the the underpass the image of an overflowing wheel bin was photographed on August 30.

Mrs Pearson commented that day: "Loads of visitors from the Aida (cruise) shop were amazed at all the litter."

AFMID also has repulsive images of faeces, for example at at Dover seafront and by the entrance to a surgery car park.

Mrs Pearson commented on the latter: "Spread disease in the least appropriate place, why don't you."

Her husband Paul fills on average 12 bags of litter a week from just three places, Branch Street, Peter Street and Bridge Street.

The couple were among the volunteers cleaning up just part of the River Dour on September 21 and the AFMID page has a photo of a single pile of 10 filled rubbish bags.

Rubbishe piled up outside a property in High Street, Dover. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID
Rubbishe piled up outside a property in High Street, Dover. Picture: Augusta Pearson, AFMID

Mrs Pearson said: "During the summer Paul and I went on cruises to places such as Italy, Spain , Greenland and Iceland. They were all spotless and when we got up early and went out we found pavements already being hosed down. In some places there is street cleaning 24/7."

"There seems to be a problem in this country and the attitude is that cleaning up is someone else's responsibility."

AFMID was set up on May 28 to monitor this problem and for others to join in reporting incidents to the authorities.

Poor self-discipline is causing people to dump litter and rubbish in this country compared to the Continent.

That's the view of Peter Sherred, another clean-up campaigner who regularly picks litter with Dover Rotary Club.

Mr Sherred and his family have visited France twice this year, for a fortnight each in July and September, and has constantly noticed that it is far cleaner than Britain.

Peter Sherred
Peter Sherred

He said: "Once again we noticed how comparatively clean everywhere we went was compared to the UK.

"I think we have a crisis of low self esteem at present in this country and a severe absence of personal discipline so people feel it is acceptable to dump litter.

"I think this can only be resolved by a combination of education and more severe sanctions for those caught together with a recovery of pride in our country.

"Maybe once we have Brexit out of the way a greater focus on standards will be achieved but at present all we can do is keep plugging away and hope some sanity is restored.

"After all everyone can see what we are doing to the world in pollution terms especially with plastic."

Mr Sherred has described his efforts at litter picking as "frustrating" when places he has cleaned have been dirtied again.

He says he reports larger items being dumped to Dover District Council who he says s "very good" in removing them.

DDC has regularly taken action in fining and prosecuting flytippers and litter droppers, including for cigarette ends.

A spokesman said: “Our waste contractors, Veolia, regularly clean town centres across the district. Teams are out early every morning before the shops open to ensure litter is cleared. Litter bins are also checked regularly throughout the day.

“Businesses are responsible for ensuring that their trade waste is stored and disposed of correctly

“We would urge the public not to put litter in a bin that is already full, and to report directly to the Council any problems with litter or trade waste www.dover.gov.uk/Report”

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