A Kirklees councillor has pleaded with Colne Valley residents to report incidents of unacceptable behaviour to police if they want to rid Marsden and Slaithwaite of drunken antics and intimidation thanks to the Ale Trail.
Clr Donna Bellamy has been working to improve the situation for the past six years for increasingly despairing residents who find their Saturdays filled with incidents of noise, nuisance and anti-social behaviour .
The TransPennine Real Ale Trail, which runs from Manchester to Leeds via the Colne Valley, Huddersfield, Mirfield and Dewsbury began several years ago as an enjoyable day out for real ale enthusiasts.
But it has turned into a nightmare for many who complain their weekends are being ruined by hundreds of people, many in party gear and fancy dress, arriving with the intention of drinking too much.
On Monday evening, Clr Bellamy chaired a meeting for angry residents fed up with the antics of hundreds of people descending on the idyllic village every Saturday lunchtime.
Clr Bellamy, who has lived in Marsden for at least 10 years, said: “I have been involved in this from the beginning. And I am constantly asking people to report incidents but part of the problem is the 101 non-emergency number to police.
“I know you can spend 20 minutes on that line before you get an answer. The worst thing that made me feel uncomfortable was the chanting on the train to Manchester when I went with my mother. She was quite shocked.
“The dolls you would expect to see in Blackpool, blow-up dolls and other things they are appearing here more and more. For families with young children to see that in the middle of Station Road is disgusting. Certainly, I would not wish my children to see that. Marsden and Slaithwaite are family places – villages – not party towns!”
A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: “Our officers continue to patrol the line on a Saturday. Reports of incidents remain very low. We would encourage anyone who experiences unacceptable behaviour on a train or a station on the trail to text us on 61016 or call us on 0809 405050 to report it.”
At least this weekend residents should have a quieter Saturday afternoon as Huddersfield Railway Station is closed for engineering works meaning there will be no trains dropping revellers at Marsden and Slaithwaite.
