Newport residents complain about the rubbish issues in pill

Pride in Pill was founded in 2014 with the goal of clearing up the community and supporting the people living there.

But, while the group's work has been widely hailed - it was even awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service MBE in 2017 - founder Paul Murphy said he was frustrated with the number of people who simply complain about litter and dumped waste without reporting it. 

“We have been doing clean ups across Pill for the past eight years, but we can’t do more than what we are already doing," he said.

“We are in the area twice, maybe three times a week and I have told residents to send us a message with any rubbish complaints, but they never do.

Paul Muphy

“Instead, they take pictures and post them to Facebook. How can we work with people in the area if they don’t message us?

“One resident in a street in the area is just taking photos of fly tipping instead of picking it up or reporting it to us, then complain when the rubbish is all over the street because of the birds.”

Rubbish covers pavements in a street

But there are signs some of the work is making a difference. Last year Pride in Pill picked up more than 2,000 sharp needles - but this year this is dramatically down.

And Mr Murphy said the removal of benches in Commercial Road which attracted anti-social behaviour had made a difference.

And he called on the community as a whole to come together to continue to improve Pill as a place to live.

“Residents in the area should work together to help improve the area by doing their bit and picking up litter," he said.

“By people posting on Facebook it gives Pill a bad name. It is not a bad place."

Fly tipping is becoming a problem

For more information on Pride in Pill visit the group's Facebook page.