A LITTER-PICKING resident says they are running out of goodwill after a New Year's Day session resulted in the highest amount of litter they have seen in the area.

Katrina Mcmanus, from Witham, took to her town's streets on New Year's Day to give the area a clean-up.

However, four and half hours later, she says she was left appalled by the amount of rubbish she found.

Her high spirits were dampened after collecting seven sacks full of rubbish.

Katrina, 68, often picks litter in the area but was left in shock and highlighted a number of "grot spots" around the town.

She had never seen the parking areas around Cullen Mill so bad, and found cans, litter and a bag of something that was too heavy to carry while already laden with sacks.

Another grot spot was the footpath and access road alongside the Braintree to Witham railway line.

Katrina said the area was a "haven" for cans and bottles in the undergrowth, but she also found some surprises.

She discovered "decorating materials, a very heavy cosh and a large canister of nitrous oxide."

She said: "I was then left with the usual cans and litter, but noticed even more bulky items thrown over the railway line, including a rotary clothes line.

"This now joins an office chair, which precariously hangs by its wheels.

"It has been there for at least two years."

The third problem area is down a small lane which connects to the pedestrian crossing bridge into Church Street.

The thoroughfare is used by children going to school.

Katrina found food containers, sweet wrappers, crisp bags, bottles, glasses, cans and a bag of rubbish.

She was able to fill two sacks of rubbish there, and filled another with bottles and cans by the Templars estate.

Katrina said: "By now my goodwill is dwindling. In fact I began to feel anger and sadness that no one seems to care about their environment.

"We have lost our common sense and now our pride."