TESCO Express in Trowbridge has come under fire as the rubbish it is supposed to dispose of is ending up in hedgerows and nearby paths, says a local resident.

On multiple occasions, Ruth Greening says that she has picked up handfuls of the Brook Road store’s litter which gets blown into the path behind the store.

Mrs Greening has criticised the store as the used cardboard and plastic are put into wire crates that do not have a top on them, so when it is windy, the rubbish is blown every which way.

She is worried that this could be blown into the nearby Lambrok stream, endangering local wildlife.

“It is simply not good enough. I have been there many times to clear up the rubbish from the path behind the store and I have raised concerns about this but nothing has been done,” she said.

“If it goes into the stream, that could pollute the water. You hear about plastic getting into the ocean, well this is where it can start by it flowing down from one bit to another. It could be fixed if they took greater care and put a lid on top of the metal crates that they put the rubbish in.”

Councillor Stewart Palmen added: “Mrs Greening got in touch with me about this issue and when I went down there we spoke to the shift manager. It was disappointing that they only responded when a councillor got involved. The rubbish is a real eye-sore. This is an easy fix and I hope they will act.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “Following this complaint, colleagues have carried out a litter-pick in the area. We are taking steps to better secure our waste in the event of high winds.”