A CAR park has been halved in size to tackle anti-social behaviour blighting a beauty spot.

Calls have been made for a barrier at the Horrocks Wood car park, off Scout Road in Smithills to put a stop to drug-taking youths and dogging.

Sabrina Beckett has been carrying out regular litter picks to try and clean-up the area but is calling for a permanent solution. She claims couples are taking part in dogging activities.

The Forestry Commission is responsible for the land and said that it has halved the size of the car park to try and tackle the problem and continues to search for further solutions.

Mrs Beckett believes that the groups of young people gather there are responsible for the litter.

Over the past two weekends Mrs Beckett and other volunteers have picked up more than 20 bags of litter including drug parapahalia and alcohol cans and bottles.

She said: "It's definitely a problem. It has been going on for quite some time.

"Back in 2013 the Bolton News ran an article about Horrocks Wood, about the state of it and the problem with the litter and it is still going on."

In 2013 another Bolton resident was concerned with the problems the spot faces.

Mrs Beckett is calling for the Forestry Commission to put a barrier in place at the car park's entrance to stop people driving in.

She said: "There is no barrier into the car park.

"People are going in at night during the week and at the weekend, there's lots of kids up there. We're picking up lots of alcohol bottles, bags for drugs and lots of laughing gas canisters as well.

"In the evenings there is most definitely anti-social behaviour going on. If we could have a barrier, I thin a lot of the issues would resolve themselves really."

The car park has views across the area out to Bury and Blackburn and Mrs Beckett said that it is 'beautiful' during the day.

She added that police are aware of the issues and was told more PCSO patrols have been dispatched to the area to try and crackdown on the problem.

Forester Richard Topley, from the Forestry Commission, said: "We currently contract a litter picker to remove litter from the car park on a weekly basis The car park has also been reduced to half its size to reduce the number of cars able to park up on an evening and partake in anti-social behaviour.

"We will continue to search for a solution to the litter problem and night-time security. We have previously had an arrangement with local people who would lock the barrier on our behalf, but this was unable to continue due to a lack of availability.

"Forestry Commission staff are not able to lock and unlock the barrier each morning and evening as it is just too far from the local office.

"Our Forester has tried of several occasions to engage with the local visitors to lock up the car park, but so far without any success."

He added that if any visitors to the site would like to become 'key holders' and have the ability to lock-up after hours or sign-up as a volunteer to help with a litter pick, contact delamere@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or call 0300 067 4340.