There has been outrage after thousands of plastic single use cups were left strewn all over Gay Village following another busy night of Pride celebrations. The event, which has lasted four days over the bank holiday weekend, has seen crowds of people flock to the city to celebrate in style.
However, pictures taken from the early hours of Monday morning (August 29) show the scenes after much of the crowds had made their way back home. Thousands of plastic cups among other litter were left dumped on the floor, on Bloom Street, with Manchester councillors now calling on festival-goers to take their rubbish home as it wraps up for its final night.
Manchester Pride have also said that each morning, litter pickers among road sweepers are down at the site cleaning up from the night before. The recent pictures show the state of the area at 4am, before the major clean up operation begins.
READ MORE In pictures: The parties, singalongs and fashion statements on day three of Manchester Pride 2022
Jack Fifield, a city centre resident who had been out partying on Sunday, snapped the pictures and said: "I think they (pride) should switch to using reusable cups with a deposit scheme that works throughout the whole village so there's an incentive for people collect them up if they see them dropped and to return their own.
"Even if all that plastic was in a bin, it'd still be bad for the environment. It's disgusting. My concern is more the actual waste produced, not the cleanup. Seeing it all on the floor just shows how much there is."
Manchester's Gay Village has been hosting pride since Friday (August 26). The Manchester Evening News has been covering the scenes throughout the four-day long festival. Read more on all our coverage here. Revellers have been partying the days and nights away in the bustling Canal Street area, as well as seeing acts perform on various stages and walking in the parade on Saturday.
Harpurhey councillor and city centre spokesperson Pat Karney urged those attending the final day of the festival to take their rubbish with them if the bins become full and 'do their best to keep the area clean'.
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He said: "After the parade we had our litter staff out cleaning up, but Pride also are helping to keep the village area clean as hosts of the event. I am appealing for everyone to make sure they use the bins or take their rubbish with them if they are full.
"The crowds are overwhelming, so everyone has some responsibility to do their best to keep the area clean. For anyone enjoying the last day I encourage them to use the bins and do their best to ensure the area is kept clean as it is a place where many still live and work.
"The real test will be to see what the area looks like tomorrow once Pride has come to an an end. We need to keep it a successful advert that it has been for Manchester over the years. Pride in our environment is also important."
Manchester Pride told the Manchester Evening News that they have road sweepers and litter pickers down at the site each morning for their clean up operation. They added that there are large bins and row sweepers also on hand and that there are teams cleaning up throughout the village all weekend.
Read all the latest news from Manchester Pride 2022 here.
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