Frustration over Tesco trolleys abandoned in thick, wet, muddy mess in Ashford river
Several trolleys have sat in a river for months having been abandoned in a thick, muddy, wet mess.
The trolleys belong to Tesco and have been the subject of multiple complaints by Adrian Cackett who has tried to get somebody to take responsibility.
The first was dumped in the East Stour River in Ashford, Kent last year and have since multiplied in number.
Mr Cackett has reported the 'eyesore' several times and says "it was very frustrating to try to report an environmental issue such as this and noone seemed bothered."
A firm called Trolleywise is used to retrieve the trolleys on behalf of the supermarket giant.
The company says they have investigated the issues and come up with a plan to remove them.
However, the Environment Agency has told ITV News the trollies were removed by them on Friday morning, although this is not usually under their remit.
A Tesco spokesperson said, "We encourage all customers to return their trolleys once they have finished their shop both for others to use and because we don’t want them to cause any harm to the local environment.
"We use a specialist company called Trolleywise to retrieve our trollies when they have been taken and we’d ask anyone who sees an abandoned Tesco trolley to use the Trolleywise app to report this, or let their local store know so we can get it back as soon as possible.”
Trolleywise told ITV News, "Our Trolleywise team is aware of this particular area of abandoned shopping trolleys and has investigated the site.
"Due to the hazardous nature of this particular clearance, our team have completed an initial risk assessment and formed a clearance plan.
"This will involve assembling several Trolleywise team members from around the region and utilising specialist trolley retrieval equipment.
"Once we are fully satisfied that all Health and Safety requirements are met in full, and that those conducting the higher risk elements of the clearance are correctly inoculated, the clearance will begin. We anticipate that it will be completed within the next 2 weeks."
Tesco says it's now introduced a gate keeper at its Ashford Park Farm Extra branch to prevent trolleys from leaving the site.
Mr Cackett added, "I find it difficult to understand the mentality of people who take trolleys, presumably full of shopping because they don't have transport and then leave them when they have emptied then. Why not take them back next time they go shopping?"