SETTEES, bar stools, tyres and even four dead crows were amongst the rubbish discovered at Painswick Beacon over the weekend.

A 14-strong team of volunteers set about clearing one of Stroud’s most popular beauty spots on Sunday afternoon.

The team were disgusted to find four ‘putrid’ dead crows in a bag, that had been left rotting for some time and which they suspect may have been illegally shot at the site.

The volunteers, made up of Painswick Beacon Golf Club Members and Members of the Painswick Beacon Conservation Group, collected 18 bags of litter, including bottles, tins, nitrous oxide gas cannisters and dog waste bags.

Painswick Parish Council provided litter pickers, gloves, black bags and sanitizers and social distancing was maintained.

“It is a shame that we are left with such a mess after visitors have walked and enjoyed the views and wildlife,” said Joyce Barrus of the Painswick Beacon Conservation Group.

“We love the beacon and want to share it with others, but a few are too selfish, ignorant or lazy to help maintain our wonderful, unique site."

Painswick Beacon is common land, with Painswick Beacon Golf Club and Painswick Beacon Conservation Group contributing to its maintenance.

Both groups work together to keep the open views that enable the golf players to play a full 18 hole course and for walkers to enjoy the views down to the Severn estuary, over to the Malverns and Welsh hills. The beacon is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the rare limestone grassland which supports a unique range of plants and insects.