Mountain team rescues a view

Mountain rescue team leader Mick Nield with his dog, Bob

Elderly residents loved the views of craggy, grass-clad quarry rising 70ft above their homes . . . until litter louts arrived.

Assorted waste including electrical goods and car parts began covering a spot near Ladcastle Road, overlooking Uppermill.

The litter, cascading down the steep slopes, really upset old folk living at Riverside Court, nestling across a main line railway line from the quarry bottom.

Now Oldham Mountain Rescue team has stepped in and turned the growing mound of rubbish into a pristine, litter-free zone.

Headed by 42-year-old team leader Mick Nield, his team — Gareth Farnan-Jones and Kelvin Storer — cleared six huge bags of rubbish from the site.

They abseiled down the rock face and removed waste which was strewn in crannies and across a wide area.

Mick, a builder, was accompanied on the mission by Bob, a six-month border collie which is due to begin training as search-and-rescue dog with the team.

Mick said: “The place was a real mess. All sorts of rubbish — including an old television — was spread over the quarry sides. There were lots of car parts, too.

“The quarry is a striking backdrop to Uppermill and it’s a real shame people don’t take their waste and rubbish to proper, dedicated sites for dumping instead of just tossing it away.”

He added: “We were delighted to help out.

“The mountain rescue team is very much part of the community in which we serve. It’s a lot different scaling mountains but the work is just as important, particularly as it is a community initiative, and gives us a real satisfaction of the job well done.”

Jonathan Marsden, a police community support officer, based at Uppermill police station, who helped in the operation, said: “The lads are real experts. They had the job sorted in no time. The area looks great now it’s been tidied.”

Sgt Craig Johnson, of the Saddleworth and Lees township, said: “Old folk living in an apartments close to our station said they were upset the way the quarry had been spoiled with rubbish.

“The mountain rescue team were only too willing to turn too and spruce the place up. As ever, they did a grand job.”