River Tees litter bins removed in Stockton over cost fears

The Canal & River Trust is removing more than 50 bins in Stockton

A charity has blamed cost pressures for the removal of more than 50 litter bins on a pathway along the River Tees.

The Canal and River Trust said it could no longer afford the annual £30,000 cost to maintain the service in Stockton.

Concerns have been raised over the impact of rubbish in an area popular with dog walkers and families.

Stockton Borough Council is expected to deploy short-term litter patrols.

The trust maintains, empties, cleans and disposes of waste in the bins on land it owns beside canals and rivers.

Work to remove the bins started last week and all of the receptacles are expected to be gone "in the next few months".

The charity blamed the loss of government grants, which it said had left it facing "soaring costs" of maintenance.

However, councillors have urged the charity to reconsider its decision.

'Huge expense'

"It is such a gem in our area and we do not want rubbish around the place," Paul Rowling, representing the Stockton town centre ward, said.

"Council taxpayers' money should not be used to pay for services on private land, which the landowner has a legal duty to provide."

Mr Rowling said the council would carry out litter patrols, but only for a limited period.

The charity will ask visitors to take their litter home to be "recycled or disposed of" elsewhere, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Sean McGinley, a director at the Canal and River Trust, said it had sought local funding options to "adequately service the bins".

He said the charity had been hit with the "huge expense" and the area made up for a third of its annual cost (£90,000) across the Yorkshire and North East.

"Our priority has to be maintaining the core fabric of the waterways, including the thousands of locks, bridges, aqueducts and other historic structures that make up the canal network, so that we can continue to provide free access to our towpaths for millions of people and maintain the integrity of the infrastructure."

The government previously said £550m in funding had been awarded to the charity, while it would receive a further £590m in subsequent years up to 2037.