A Prestwich park with a Green Flag status was covered in litter and human faeces after Travellers left the site yesterday, Sunday.

St Marys Park is being cleaned after litter and human excrement were found shortly after Travellers moved from the area.

Bury Times: Travellers in St Mary's Park last week Travellers in St Mary's Park last week (Image: Martini)

Apologising for being blunt as he spoke about the state the park was left in, Cllr Alan Quinn said: “It is full of poo. I went yesterday (Sunday) after the proclamation ceremony, and I picked up an email that said that the Travellers were finally leaving.

“When I got there, human excrement had been left all over the park.

“There was a football in the middle of the field, and I wondered why, when I went over, it was covered in excrement."

Bury Times: Travellers have left St Mary's Park Travellers have left St Mary's Park (Image: Cllr Alan Quinn)

The disgusting sights also included litter, bags of rubbish, used tissues and other broken items such as camping chairs.

It was the third time Travellers have settled in the park this year.

Cllr Quinn said: “We have 67 parks in Bury and this is the 14th time they've settled in the area.

“It costs me roughly £5,000 to get rid of them each go, money which should be being spent on adding more swings and equipment to the area.

Bury Times: Litter in St Mary's Park Litter in St Mary's Park (Image: Cllr Alan Quinn)

“People work all week and then they want to take the kids to the park, but it wasn't safe to go onto the fields.

“With the mess that they've left behind, it has left a threat to my team’s health who are cleaning up the mess today.

“This is taking them away from what they should be doing. Their job is to be mowing the lawns trimming the trees and looking after our parks not cleaning up human poo.”

Cllr Quinn has urged residents to report any crime or similar situations to the police or elected officials so it can be used as evidence.

He said that this can be done anonymously and will be acted upon, unlike Facebook comments, which cannot stand as solid evidence.

Following the ordeal, Cllr Quinn will be meeting with the police to find a way of avoiding this level of distress and alarm as well as seeking a faster route of moving Travellers from the area.

Two sets of high barriers and CCTV are also due to be fitted to the park.

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