Residents were “infuriated” after Port Meadow was left strewn with rubbish by hundreds of picknickers yesterday.

Warm weather and the relaxation of lockdown rules meant huge crowds gathered at the park, leaving wine bottles and drinks cans scattered across the grass.

Jericho resident Gilbert Simms blamed students and said the problem seemed to be getting worse every year.

“ Jericho now has a very high population of students,” he said. “Litter was never a problem in the past when it was working people. Any warm weather brings an invasion of students and their litter to the meadow.

“If our voluntary group, the Walton Well Wombles, didn’t get up at the crack of dawn every morning and clean the meadow animals would, and have been, killed.

“If you go to the meadow this evening after dark you will see litter strewn everywhere.”

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Filippo Projetto also tweeted pictures of South Park this morning with beer bottles, plastic bags and cardboard boxes tossed on the grass.

He tweeted: “Is this happening too often? Maybe just cleaning this mess up is not the right solution? This needs to be stopped at the source. How? I don't know.”

Oxford city council said the parks team was out at 6am clearing up.

Julian Cooper, Oxford Direct Services Port Meadow Ranger said: “Many hundreds visited yesterday and enjoyed this beautiful site responsibly, and I want to thank them for helping keep the meadow safe for wildlife and other visitors.

"It’s very disappointing to have a small percentage who continue to litter.”

He added: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and staff will not hesitate to issue £150 Fixed Penalty Notices this can lead to a maximum fine of £2,500."

Last year two cattle died on Port Meadow as a result of eating rubbish and the year before a horse bled to death after treading on glass.

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