Retired Larne paramedic lifting thousands of litter items each week along town’s ‘filthy’ stretch

Abe Agnew has been clearing rubbish in the east Antrim town for the past few years with just his dog Bobby for company.

He says that on average he lifts between 15 and 20,000 pieces of litter each week and the number of discarded masks, wet wipes and tissues is increasing.

Bottles, tin cans and fast food wrappers are the most commonly discarded items.

During one clear-up, he lifted more than 100 bottles filled with urine at the harbour foreshore, including a five litre bottle.

“I stopped counting at 100,” he said.

In addition, he recovered plastic bags filled with excrement.

“It is really disgusting. There is no need for that sort of thing. People drive past and fire stuff out the window.

“It is a protected area. There is a bird sanctuary. It should be the crown jewel of the town. It is just filthy and the town is filthy from the harbour to Kilwaughter.”

Recently, councillors were told of plans to set up surveillance following an upsurge in fly-tipping.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s director of Operations Philip Thompson told last month’s meeting of the Direct Services Committee that lorry drivers leaving the ferry at Larne Harbour throw bottles of urine along the Harbour Highway.

“The whole Harbour Highway is littered with bottles of urine,” he said.

He indicated that a meeting has been arranged to look at how to identify those who have been littering. Read here

Abe fills as many as 20 bags of refuse at the harbour foreshore and 30 between the ‘Kentucky’ roundabout and town centre at a time.

“Not a week goes by, I do not lift two to 3,000 cans and bottles.”

He said that he was encouraged to start lifting litter after seeing calves trying to eat rubbish at Ballyhampton Road.

“If people take some of the pride emanating from Inver Park, maybe that will start to grow,” Abe suggested.

Seventy-year-old Abe, a retired paramedic, says:”It would be a shame if all the cleaning and tidying I have done over the last two to three years would be in vain.

“It would be great if I could get some litter picker volunteers, something that could be rolled out to others.”

He can be contacted [email protected]

During a recent six month period, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council received 434 litter complaints but just 23 fixed penalties were issued despite 245 found to be valid.

The council says it is to crackdown on dog fouling and littering by bringing in a private enforcement company.

The local authority is planning to employ a firm to patrol “hotspots” and fine offenders.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The vast majority of our citizens are responsible, but unfortunately there are those who continue to flout the law when it comes to dog fouling, fly-tipping and littering.”

Read story on private enforcement company to tackle dog fouling here

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter.

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