Revellers turn Penwortham park into a 'booze-fuelled, urine-soaked festival ground', say residents

The park next to the Pear Tree pub in Leyland Road attracted a large crowd yesterday (June 25), with around 150 revellers basking in the sunshine until late in the evening.

Many of them had gathered on the park to enjoy take-out pints from the pub, whilst others brought their own drinks to savour on the hottest day of the year.

The pub stopped serving at 8pm but the crowd remained and reportedly grew rowdier as the night wore on, culminating in reports of a young man brandishing a machete at around 10pm.

Police swiftly descended on the park and dispersed the crowd, but the man with the machete could not be found.

Visitors to the park this morning said they were appalled at the amount of litter strewn across the grass, and a strong smell of urine emanating from the bushes.

With no access to the pub toilets, customers have resorted to relieving themselves in the park itself.

One resident said: "The park has basically become an extension of the pub, with about 150 to 200 people a night drinking there.

"They are coming from all over, parking their cars and obstructing the paths.

"Worst of all, they have been using the bushes as public conveniences, and this also means they are not washing their hands.

"People might be carrying the virus and not realise. There's also rubbish and hundreds of cigarettes butts all over the grass."

Residents have raised concerns about the park in recent weeks, with some saying the popularity of the pub's take-out service has led to a surge in noisy and nuisance behaviour.

"I've walked through the park nearly daily, and it's only when the pub opened that the crowds came," said a resident.

"Yesterday there were hundreds on there, just on the pub side of the park, I knew it would kick off.

"The park was rammed, the roads were shocking to drive on, cars were mounted on pavements. If the pub wasn't open this wouldn't have happened."

Another resident added: "All of a sudden the park's turned into a booze-fuelled, urine-soaked festival ground."

But Lancashire Police and South Ribble Council’s licensing committee said the pub is not breaching any regulations.

And dozens of empty beer bottles and packaging found scattered in the park suggests that not all of those in the park were pub customers.

The Pear Tree pub has been approached for comment.

DC Terry Woods of Lancashire Police said the force had a busy night, with similar large-scale outdoor gatherings taking place across the county.

He said: "Busy night across Lancashire. Let’s hope this is a moment in time but numerous incidents of large groups drinking in public and leaving devastating amount of litter behind them.

"Arrests were made with those being aggressive towards Lancashire Police."