'I am saddened at how dirty the town is'

We were saddened at how grubby the town centre, gardens and pier approach were.
Bins overflowing, rubbish left on the grass and particularly the stained and dirty pathways.

The pathways are in need of a real clean.

At Pier Approach there are no benches to sit on just concrete blocks – bear in mind Bournemouth has a large senior population.

On a recent visit to Lyme Regis I was pleasantly surprised at the continual line of benches all along the seafront.

As a senior citizen myself, I can remember how much cleaner Bournemouth was years ago.

Also had to dodge innumerable e-scooters everywhere.

As a school boy in the summer we walked from the Cooper Dean to Boscombe beach – a good walk and real exercise.

On Thursday evening we decided to walk through Boscombe gardens to the pier and enjoyed a pleasant walk until we passed close by the pier.

A car parked with four young men blowing up balloons with ‘hippy crack’ – nitrous oxide.
Scattered on the ground were numerous empty cylinders.

When I asked if they were going to pick them up, I was subjected to verbal abuse.
Unfortunately there were no police around at the time.

It seems the police have given up patrolling the town when their regular presence, especially at holiday times when it is busy, would be appropriate.

Maybe as an older citizen of Bournemouth I’m out of touch, but I am saddened at how dirty the town is.

I was always taught by my parents to leave a place where I had been as if l had never been there – in other words take any rubbish home with me.

PETER KENCHINGTON
Bournemouth