Rutland's first branch of McDonald's creates an increase in litter within days of opening

An environmentalist has called on McDonald’s to take action against litter louts after finding its packaging strewn across Oakham.

Anneka Sharratt does regular litter picks and was expecting to see an increase in rubbish when the fast-food chain opened its doors last week.

She was proved right within a matter of days.

Anneka said: “It would be wrong to blame this solely on McDonald’s because ultimately the blame is on the customers who littered, but I think there is more the company could do to get the message out there.

“Why not aim for anti-littering in the first place?”

McDonald’s urged people to get in touch about hotspots so they can be added to the litter picking route.

A spokesman said: “We take our responsibility around litter very seriously, so it is deeply disappointing whenever we hear about a minority of customers disposing of their rubbish so irresponsibly.

“Our restaurant team in Oakham carries out daily patrols collecting all litter, not just McDonald’s branded packaging.

“Outside of our restaurant in Oakham we have provided a minimum of 10 litter bins and made a contribution to the council towards litter bins, including paying for emptying them for 20 years.”

McDonald's was the first restaurant company in the UK to introduce litter patrols in 1982.

Staff from each branch cover a minimum 150-metre radius at least three times each day.