Latest news with #DariusLaws
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Our famous village is being turned into UK's ‘mini Glastonbury' where filthy tourists dump vapes & beer everywhere
A FAMOUS village is being turned into a "mini Glastonbury" with tourists dumping vapes and beer everywhere. The riverside beauty spot in Essex has been left blighted by litter-dropping tourists. 5 5 5 The small village of Dedham has seen an increasing number of tourists visiting during the recent hot weather. Deadham Vale nature reserve is a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty, famous for its water meadows and the River Stour. The river has seen an increase in visitors partly because of the rise of stand up paddleboards and inflatable kayaks. With a population of just 1,907, the village has been tarnished in recent weeks by tourists littering and engaging in "reckless behaviour". Conservative councillor, Darius Laws, has said something must be done to curb overflowing bins and cars parking on green spaces. The councillor posted a provocative video on social media on June 30 where he likened the scenes to last month's Glastonbury festival. "You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'm in Glastonbury," Laws said in the video. "No, f*** that, left-wing, so-called green, hippies. No, I'm in Dedham." The campaign video was accompanied by the caption "you'd think there was a headline act performing" and calls on tourists to start "following the countryside code" and pick up litter. In the video, councillor Thomas Rowe also adds: "Just remember, this isn't a festival, it's a village". 7 TOURIST DESTINATIONS - EVERGREEN LISTICLE Cllr Laws later said: "Hopefully, it gives people the confidence to tell people to pick up their litter and act appropriately. "The amount of rubbish and reckless behaviour we are seeing is really concerning. "It looked like a mini-Glastonbury. Bins were overflowing, people had dumped empty crates of beer, vape wrappers had been dropped on the ground. "We see people jumping off the bridge into very shallow water and they could so easily break their necks. "This is a beautiful part of the country, and it's not ok, it makes local wildlife sick and ruins nature. "We do approach it in a friendly way because people may just be ignorant of the damage they're causing. "The video was provocative to get people's attention and if people think twice then it's worked. "We live in a beautiful village in a beautiful part of the world. We're welcome to visitors but they've got to be responsible." Last year, the Environment Agency said the water could contain "levels of sewage, faeces from livestock and pollution from farming or industry" Cllr Laws also believes the nearby sewage water treatment plant, plastic pollution and animal waste have contributed to the water becoming contaminated. Colchester County Council said that they support the campaign and are calling on visitors to remove their waste. 5 5
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fury as tourists and daytrippers overrun beauty spot close to river immortalised by iconic British painter John Constable
Tourists have overrun a riverside beauty spot close to the rural scene immortalised by famous British painter John Constable. The village of Dedham in Essex, just half mile away from the iconic scene of Constable's The Hay Wain, has seen an increasing number of tourists visiting during the hot weather. And the mess left behind by those enjoying the scenic views has been likened to ' Glastonbury '. Dedham Vale nature reserve is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, famous for its water meadows and the River Stour, painted by British artist. The small village, which has a population of just 1,907, has been tarnished in recent weeks by tourists littering and engaging in 'reckless behaviour' during the heatwaves. And locals have expressed frustration at the disregard to their local area with Conservative Councillor Darius Laws demanding something be done to curb overflowing bins and cars parking on the green spaces. In an expletive-filled ranting video posted on social media on June 30, Councillor Laws said: 'You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'm in Glastonbury. 'No, f*** that, left-wing, so-called green, hippies. No, I'm in Dedham.' Local residents have blasted visitors for spoiling their local area and likened the mess left behind Glastonbury due to the amount of litter The campaign video was accompanied by the social media tag line 'you'd think there was a headline act performing' and calls on tourists to start 'following the countryside code' and pick up litter. In the video, councillor Thomas Rowe also adds: 'Just remember, this isn't a festival, it's a village'. Councillor Laws added: 'Hopefully, it gives people the confidence to tell people to pick up their litter and act appropriately. 'The amount of rubbish and reckless behaviour we are seeing is really concerning. 'It looked like a mini-Glastonbury. Bins were overflowing, people had dumped empty crates of beer, vape wrappers had been dropped on the ground. 'We see people jumping off the bridge into very shallow water and they could so easily break their necks. 'This is a beautiful part of the country, and it's not ok, it makes local wildlife sick and ruins nature. 'We do approach it in a friendly way because people may just be ignorant of the damage they're causing. 'The video was provocative to get people's attention and if people think twice then it's worked. 'We live in a beautiful village in a beautiful part of the world. We're welcome to visitors but they've got to be responsible.' John Ward, the independent leader for Barbergh District Council told the BBC that the council were looking in to solutions including double yellow lines and help from police and praised the landowner. He explained that he was doing his best and has installed portable toilets and cleans up litter after visitors have left but said it wasn't enough. He added: 'You're welcome to enjoy the beautiful Stour Valley, but we can't get to the litter every night, we don't have the staff to do it as often as we can.' Mr Rowe also hit out those he believed were dressing inappropriately and visitors endangering themselves. He told the Daily Gazette: 'People are going into the local co-op without a T-shirt and kids are jumping off the bridge, which I know is something the council are talking to the police about. 'It's only a matter of time until someone hurts themselves. 'I also don't think people realise about the water quality. I wouldn't let my kids paddle around in there.' Last year, the Environment Agency said the water could contain 'levels of sewage, faeces from livestock and pollution from farming or industry' Councillor Laws also believes the nearby sewage water treatment plant, plastic pollution and animal waste have contributed to the water becoming contaminated. Colchester County Council said that they support the campaign and are calling on visitors to remove their waste.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Littering tourists turn riverside beauty spot into ‘mini Glastonbury'
A riverside beauty spot close to a rural scene has been likened to a 'mini Glastonbury' after being blighted by litter. Dedham Vale nature reserve is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, famous for its water meadows and the River Stour. The village is half a mile from the iconic scene of Constable's 'The Hay Wain' – a famous landscape painting by John Constable from 1821, which depicts the river glistening in the sun. The small village in Essex has seen an increasing number of tourists visiting because of the recent spell of hot weather. Concerned residents said the village has been tarnished in recent weeks by visitors littering and engaging in 'reckless behaviour' during the heatwaves. In a video posted on social media on June 30, Darius Laws, a Tory councillor, likened the scenes to last month's Glastonbury festival. He joked: 'You'd think there was a headline act performing. You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'm in Glastonbury. No, f--- that, Left-wing, so-called green, hippies. No, I'm in Dedham.' Cllr Laws called on tourists to start 'following the countryside code' and pick up any litter. Thomas Rowe, a fellow Conservative councillor, echoed the concerns, saying: 'Just remember, this isn't a festival, it's a village.' Cllr Laws added: 'Hopefully, it gives people the confidence to tell people to pick up their litter and act appropriately. 'The amount of rubbish and reckless behaviour we are seeing is really concerning. It looked like a mini-Glastonbury. Bins were overflowing, people had dumped empty crates of beer, vape wrappers had been dropped on the ground.' He added: 'This is a beautiful part of the country and it's not ok. It makes local wildlife sick and ruins nature. We're welcome to visitors but they've got to be responsible.' Colchester county council said that they supported the campaign and called visitors to remove their waste. Elsewhere, rubbish and discarded camping gear in the Lake District led to a surge in complaints from residents who claimed they had been left 'heartbroken' by the behaviour. Campers using sites around Ullswater Lake and Glencoyne Bay in Cumbria were accused of chopping down trees for firewood, playing loud music through portable speakers, smoking cannabis and harming wildlife. One resident claimed that they found a discarded 12in zombie knife at one of the sites.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Dedham 'a village not a festival', says councillor
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is being treated more like a "festival" and not a place that deserves "special attention", a councillor has said. Darius Laws, a Conservative councillor on Colchester City Council, lives by the River Stour, in the Dedham Vale, and is urging people to be "responsible" when they visit the said crowds flocked to the waterway on the Essex-Suffolk border, immortalised by painter John Constable, and there was an increase in issues including litter and bad parking."Don't go into the local shops with hardly any clothes on," he said. "It's a village where people live all year round. It isn't a festival it's a village." The river has seen an increase in visitors partly because of the rise of stand up paddleboards and inflatable kayaks. But Laws said "a minority of people" were not treating the area with the respect they should, as first reported by the Daily Gazette."When the bins are overwhelmed, people think it's alright to leave the rubbish next to the bins, but if you have a gust of wind it goes into the river and animals can come along and eat discarded food waste, and can become ill," he also said people might not be aware how close the river is to a sewage treatment works, with recent cases of illnesses including Weil's disease. Laws continued: "We need everyone to take responsibility for their footprint, if the bins are overwhelmed, then please take your excess litter home."I'm worried the natural landscape is being challenged by a minority of people who aren't being as respectful as they could be. They think it's OK to have the odd disposable BBQ, it's a place of beauty, we want to keep it that way."We welcome visitors, but they need to be responsible." John Ward, the independent leader for Barbergh District Council, said the number of visitors had "rapidly increased" since the Covid-19 lockdowns and "every year people were flocking to the area". "We're doing the best we can to try and manage the problem, we're talking to local councils, police and have installed double yellow lines to enforce parking," he says the landowner is "doing his best" and clears up litter, has installed portable toilets and has allowed cars to park on his field at certain times of the year to "help with traffic management". "You're welcome to enjoy the beautiful Stour Valley, but we can't get to the litter every night, we don't have the staff to do it as often as we can," he said. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X and follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
