RANGERS at Dams to Darnley Country Park have urged people to take more care during bonfire season, after being left with a huge mess to clean up.

Staff at the country park, which sits in the greenspace between Barrhead, Darnley and Newton Mearns, have told how they have been forced to clear fireworks, packaging, piles of ashes and debris left behind by people having private parties.

Countryside ranger Joe Connelly said: “Fortunately, we didn’t have any bonfires this year, which has been a problem in the past.

“What we did have was a group who brought in what appears to be a trolley-full of fireworks into our seating area at the car park.

“We didn’t just have to deal with the remains of the fireworks. They’d also burnt the path, left a pile of ash and a big wire cage. It was such a mess.

“We don’t have a problem with people using fireworks, but the least they could do is clean up after themselves, and they didn’t.”

It took most of an afternoon last week for rangers to clean up the area as best they could, warning visitors to be on the look-out for any stray pieces of glass, metal or plastic that could cause damage to cars or injury to dogs.

Joe added: “You’re never going to stop people bringing things like that into the park, and that would be fine if they took it away with them when they were done.

“If you can bring it in, you can take it away. That’s the message we want to get across.”

Councillor Angela Convery, who represents Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor, voiced her outrage on social media, calling the mess ‘an absolute disgrace’.

She said: “Fair enough, by all means go and use it, it is a public park, but why would you leave all this mess behind?

“How hard can it be to take up a plastic bag and put all the spent fireworks and rubbish in it and take it away or leave it next to a bin for it to be lifted?”