'Bottle bandit' plaguing Slanemore

A family in Wattstown, Slanemore, Mullingar have identified what they say is a "serious problem with someone littering along the road with glass bottles".

In the last few years, they have gathered and collected hundreds of bottles and taken them to the recycling centre or bottles banks.

"We walk the road with our three small children and have the fear of God in case one of them falls and cuts themselves, or worse, with the bottles," said Caoimhe Duncan.

"Cattle, sheep and horses are also around and could be injured if they stood on one or more of these bottles. This evening on our way back from walk we, with the help of our eldest Henry, aged 3, pulled out 93 bottles from along the ditch. The last time we pulled out 138 bottles."

Ms Duncan said they are hoping that if this is published in the paper, the bottle littering will stop and whoever is responsible will hopefully will start using the bottle banks – which are free of charge.

She sent in this information on Monday of last week; on Wednesday, she sent an update to say: "The bottle bandit returned again last night with another 13 bottles. Also, they have been dumping them at Walshestown graveyard. This is disgusting."