Newcastle fireworks: Plastic 'left strewn" after Heaton Park event

Kath Lowe said hundreds of bits of spiky plastic were left strewn over a large area

Hundreds of pieces of plastic from fireworks were left strewn across a park after a New Year's Eve display, residents have said.

Newcastle Council held five displays, including in Heaton Park, which were closed to the public because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kath and Jack Lowe, of Heaton, said the amount of debris left was "horrifying".

The council said response to the displays had been "positive" and it would look into the complaints.

A laser show in Newcastle had been planned for New Year celebrations but was called off, and instead fireworks displays were arranged in undisclosed locations to prevent crowds gathering.

Mr and Mrs Lowe said they had spent hours picking up the debris and filling bin liners

Mr Lowe said plastic was a environmental "hot topic" and amount left behind was "extraordinary"

Each show lasted for just five minutes, but Mr and Mrs Lowe said hundreds of bits of sharp plastic were left lying in their local park and they had spent subsequent days filling bin liners with the debris.

Mrs Lowe said: "I couldn't believe my eyes - it was horrific. There were loads and loads of tiny, spiky pieces of plastic over a huge area. We then spent hours picking them up.

"I want the council to never do this ever again on this site. It was a very bad idea."

Mr Lowe added: "Everyone seems to be giving us the message of looking after the environment and caring for the world around us.

"Plastic is a very hot topic and to see all that plastic was extraordinary."

The council said the public response to the displays across the city had been "overwhelmingly positive."

The locations of the displays were not disclosed to discourage crowds from gathering