A MAJOR clean-up operation is under way after the departure of 30,000 visitors from the Bournemouth 7s Festival.

The site has been left strewn with litter but organisers have pledged it will be back to normal by the end of the week.

A team of around 30 specialist litter pickers will be working their way through the site until Friday when it is handed back to the owners.

The three-day event started on Friday May 26 when sports and music fans arrived from midday.

Sporting activity got under way on Saturday and lasted for two days, involving more than 400 teams.

Bournemouth Sevens Managing Director Craig Mathie said there were around 200 litter bins available to festival-goers over the weekend which were regularly emptied.

And he said the amount of litter left at the site this weekend appears to be lower than in previous years.

“The litter pickers working on the site work at other major festivals and work in a methodical way, ensuring that as much waste as possible is recycled” said Mr Mathie.

“We have never had any problems clearing the site before and we are confident it will be clear before the end of the week.”

Bournemouth resident Natalie King took photographs of the site after seeing the litter as she dropped her sons to a nearby nursery.

She said: “It is absolutely disgusting and there is trash everywhere. It looks like a mini version of Glastonbury and this is not how this area should be treated.

“It’s not hard - if you create rubbish, take it home with you. It’s going to take a very long time to get it back to normal which is a shame because the area is usually very well looked after.”

Last summer a protest was held on Bournemouth beach after it was left covered in litter on several occasions.

Residents displayed banners near to Bournemouth pier asking visitors to take their rubbish home with them.