Colchester Asda admits car park is a 'litter magnet'

Martin Goss says Asda, in Turner Rise, Colchester has become an “embarrassment” due to the amount of stray rubbish which lines the premises.

Images show bags, cigarette butts and paper, among many other items, which have become trapped in the hedges surrounding the supermarket, as well as lining car parking spaces.

But Asda says the location of the store and greenery surrounding it, combined with recent weather, has heightened the problem of late.

Fed-up - Martin Goss

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The supermarket admitted its car park is a “magnet for litter”.

Mile End councillor, Mr Goss says the issue has been a problem for many months and he has become tired of excuses being made.

He said: “Despite the numerous attempts to get them to take responsibility and words that deliver, there has been nothing from their HQ and management.

“Absolutely no action has been taken to deal with the sorry state of the bushes and surrounding area.

“The area is an absolute tip, it’s disgusting. It does nothing to enhance our area of Mile End we as councillors and residents all strive to keep green and clean, and here we have a national shambles of a business on our doorstep letting us down doing zero.

Messy - litter is strewn across the car park

“I am fed-up with raising the same issues time and time again with nothing being done. Perhaps now someone at Asda will actually do something to sort out their embarrassment of a store.”

An Asda spokesman told the Gazette the supermarket is planning a large scale community litter pick on May 7.

He added: “We are aware that when the wind picks up our Colchester store’s car park is a magnet for litter, with the hedge boundary catching much of it.

“We have ramped up the litter picking at our store in recent weeks and we are working with the local council and community to try and resolve the problem in a more permanent way through a community litter pick.’’