FOOTBALL teams are still not cleaning up their litter after playing on a Farnworth park, despite warnings from Bolton Council.

Residents complained to the council last season that empty bottles, plastic, glass and tape were being left strewn across Doe Hey Park at weekends.

Unhappy neighbours called for the council to ask teams to pay a deposit, which would only be refunded if they adhered to the terms of their agreement to use the pitches.

The council resisted the calls but did write to the clubs that use the pitches and to the league, urging them to remind its members

Now, with the new season underway, the problem has started again. Kath Gough, who lives in nearby Cawdor Avenue, said more action is needed.

Mrs Gough said she was initially told council officers would not be able to remove the litter until November 10, but that, after emailing chief executive Sean Harriss, the rubbish was cleared the next day.

She said: "The Saturday teams have been a lot better but we are still having problems with the Sunday teams. There was a beer bottle at the side of the pitch the other week.

"I really felt that after the council writing to the teams that the situation would improve but it does not seem to have changed much. You should not have to go through such efforts to get a park clean and tidy."

Mrs Gough said she had suggested the council consider adopting a deposit system to encourage teams to keep the area tidy but was told the council would not be changing the conditions.

She added: " We do not want the football pitches to stop being used as they are nice facilities. But whatever the council has done is not working with all the teams."

A Bolton Council spokesman said: β€œIt is disappointing to hear that the litter problem has re-occurred. We have written to the teams that are using the park this season, informing them that there has been an issue with litter being following matches and reminding them that removing it is part of the Terms and Conditions of their use of the facility.”