Leeds Festival clear-up volunteer's dismay at 'littering on the grandest scale'

A man who volunteered to clear the site of Leeds Festival says the scale of the abandoned tents and litter he saw at Bramham Park was "utterly appalling".

Jack Lowe drove to Leeds to help a north-east based charity dismantle tents for future use by refugees in France.

Uploading a video of the site's aftermath to social media, he said: "This is just a fraction of it - littering on the grandest scale we’ve ever witnessed.

"It’s hard to convey the sheer scale of this. Thousands and thousands of tents. Even after being there for a few hours, we were still aghast as we drove away."

It comes as drone footage reveals the true scale of tents and other litter left behind after the festival over the bank holiday weekend.

The director of the company that organises Leeds Festival says some festival goers who leave tents and debris at Bramham Park are untidy and it has to clean up after them.

At the festival on Saturday, Melvin Benn of Festival Republic told ITV News: "The message to festival goers all of the time is to try and look after the environment really.

"We work really hard on making sure that people recycle and take their belongings home with them.

"Most people do, some people don't. Some people are untidy and we have to tidy up after them."

The Leeds Fest website advises for people to "say no to single use, take your tent home!". It advises people to "buy a durable tent that you can use again each year."

On the festival itself, Melvin Benn said: "This is one of the great international festivals. The social impact among people being able see great bands and be part of a community is in itself worthwhile."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.