A NEW 3G pitch in Horwich has been blighted by litter problems just weeks after it was completed.

The surface in Old Station Park has been installed as part of Bolton Council's as part of a £1.5million programme of capital funding for communities.

But since workers finished at the beginning of this month, rubbish including bottles, wrappers and cartons have been spotted strewn across the pitch.

Cllr Peter Wright, who will become the town mayor next month, said: "I like the 3G pitch. It is a great addition to Horwich and hopefully it can be used not just for football but for other people as well.

"But it is a shame that the minority of people leave their rubbish there.

"I went around all the bins in the park. There are four black bins in Old Station Park but the one near the playground and the 3G pitch is overflowing.

"Perhaps we could use a bigger bin. Hopefully we can think up something to prevent these few hooligans from spoiling it for the others.

"I have seen people enjoying the pitch so I think it must be just a few people probably there at night time."

He called on people responsible to make sure they take their litter to the nearby bins and treat the pitch with respect

Cllr Steve Chadwick went down to clear up the mess on Sunday night.

He said: "It just needed to be done and sometimes the best way to do it is to just do it yourself. It is a great facility. It is something that we definitely needed in Horwich but it needs to be looked after otherwise it is just going to go to waste."

A council spokesman said: “This is a brand new fantastic facility for Horwich and we would ask those people engaging in this sort of behaviour to think about their actions.

“The investment made into the facility was to benefit the community and it is a real shame that the thoughtless behaviour of some people means the brand new surface is being littered. There is no excuse for this especially when there are bins located in the park.

“We are working with Bolton Community Leisure Trust, who manage the facility, to put in more security measures to deter this sort of behaviour.

“The facility is already being cleaned regularly and will be locked overnight, and we are also looking to install a CCTV system at the ground.”