A travelling community that set up camp at Oldham Edge on 5th August left the site on 17th August after a court order, but residents say the mess left behind is now the main concern.

Greater Manchester Police and Oldham Council acted after the group arrived, and the court order brought the stay to an end. Since the departure, attention has turned to the condition of parts of the site, with rubbish, broken plastic children's toys and plastic bottles among the issues raised by residents and dog walkers.

The Edge, as it is known locally, is a well-used open space that attracts dog walkers, families, young people and visitors throughout the year. It sits close to Life for a Life, a charity memorial site where trees have been planted in memory of loved ones who have died.

The arrival of the travelling community brought mixed feelings among local people. Some residents said they had concerns about the impact on the area, while others appeared more accepting of the community using the open space.

Following the departure, the state of the site has become a particular worry, including the potential impact on the environment.

One resident said: "It's the mess that attracts vermin and other pests."

Another said: "Young kids play out up here and we will have to keep them away for a while until it's been properly cleaned up."

A further resident said they believed the rubbish was ultimately what let them down.

"If they took away the rubbish, it would be fine," they said. "That said, they're probably off to make a mess for someone else."

Police and Oldham Council officers have also been spoken to by residents and dog walkers as concerns about the state of the site are raised.

For many people, the issue is less about who has used the land and more about what is left behind and the potential spike in crime and antisocial behaviour.

Oldham Edge has long been shared by different communities and groups, but residents say that sharing the space comes with a responsibility to leave it in a condition that allows everyone else to continue enjoying it.

With the community now gone from the site, the focus is on the clean-up and on ensuring the Edge can return to being the community space that local people know and value.