Abandoned festival items donated to rough sleepers

New sleeping bags and air beds recovered among an "unholy" amount of waste left by festival-goers are to be dontated to rough sleepers.

An army of volunteers has collected about five tonnes of rubbish left behind at the Hide & Seek Festival in Weston Park, Shropshire, where tents and unopened food were also found.

As well as helping to clear the site, the Telford-based Community Food Project has rescued such items - along with clothes and shoes - which may prove useful to peiple in need.

Mattie Bailie, from the organisation, said the scale of waste left behind was "crazy".

"There was about 8,000 people at this festival in total," he said. "So the waste was unholy."

He said: "We were picking up air mattresses that hadn't even left the box. They were still brand new and sealed."

Many of the items collected would now, he said, help people experiencing homelessness across Telford.

Tents, bedding and other supplies have been passed to outreach workers for distribution.

The volunteers also rescued leftover food, including large boxes of noodles which had been left unopened.

"It all goes to a good cause," Bailie said. "These things normally just get left and it is a shame."

The Community Food Project collects donations from around Telford and distributes it through its food bank and outreach services, seven days a week.

"We are always looking for volunteers and anyone to help," Bailie said. "It's the best, greatest cause and the more people that get involved the better it is."

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.