Ashton-on-Ribble locals have taken to social media to complain about the state of the Lancaster Canal.

Residents in Shelley Road, which backs on to the end of the canal near Aqueduct Street, say they are sick of issues with litter and overflowing dog waste bins.

They claim the situation is getting worse, citing the addition of a burnt out boat that has been left to rot for a number of weeks.

Read more: Boat fire in Ashton-on-Ribble under investigation 

One local who litter picks for Preston Green Volunteers said: “It’s awful at the moment. The dog waste bin by the Rainbow Bridge hasn’t been emptied in ages.

“We need a bin placing nearby so that hopefully the anglers will use it because they leave too many beer cans.”

Another said: “It’s disgusting. The bin opposite my house has got rubbish all over the footpath.”

One resident claims the stretch of the canal in Ashton and Ingol isn’t maintained as well as further north near Cottam.

They said: “All available funds seem to be spent on the other end of the canal. If you walk past Haslam Park to the new builds at Cottam it’s immaculate up there.

“The first three dog waste bins you come across are always stuffed full, then the ones after that are emptied regularly.

“We’re just forgotten about.”

Speaking to Blog Preston, a Canal and River Trust spokesperson said: “As a charity, we face a constant challenge keeping our canals and river navigations litter-free and in good condition especially at this time of year.

“Due to recent contractual issues due to Covid, the bins haven’t been emptied as often as they should have. Working with our contractors we’re hoping that the issue will be resolved, and the bins will be emptied on a more regular basis.

“We are also working with our boat licence team to remove the remains of the boat from the canal but due to legal reasons we can’t do this without the permission of the owner which we are in discussion with.”

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