Maud would be turning in her grave!

We see that the appalling state of an area next to the Maud Foster waterway is again being criticised.
A local resident has appealed to "the authorities" after her family pet was seriously injured on broken glass near the Windsor Crescent play area.
She says she has been asking Boston Borough Council and the Environment Agency to clean-up the play area and the land around it for months after seeing it become a dumping ground for bottles, cans and even shopping trolleys.
Now her pet dog has gashed his leg on a broken bottle, and she fears that next time the victim could be a child.
She says "I have contacted the council and Environment Agency on many occasions about the state of this area but it is just getting worse.
"The authorities need to get their act together and sort this problem out."
If these words sound familiar, it is perhaps because they are.
Not long ago, a complaint about a dustbin which lay dumped in Old Maudie at the other side of Boston for several weeks led to a flood of letters complaining about rubbish dumping both in the water and on the banks.
In this latest case, an Environment Agency spokesman said it only had responsibility for clearing obstructions or pollutants from the waterways and said fly-tipping and litter were the responsibility of the borough council.
This convenient excuse is often used by official organisations which should know better. It allows them to pass the buck of blame whilst doing nothing to improve matters.
The Maud Foster is an incredible local asset.
Any other town which had a stretch of water running through it would treat it accordingly and make the most of its attractiveness. It should possible to enjoy a long peaceful walk beside a well-groomed, neat and tidy Maud Foster, and without too much effort a circular stroll could be created that would take in a number of interesting sights.
But this is Boston, and so instead, anyone attempting such a thing is greeted by overgrown riverbanks, litter everywhere, rampant dog fouling and a threat to life and limb from cyclists hurtling along footpaths which clearly display prohibition signs. Anf of course there is never a PCSO in sight to deal with miscreants.
Instead of blaming each other for the mess, the Environment Agency and Boston Borough Council should hang their heads in shame at their joint neglect of one of the town's potentially great attractions.
To the west, the wards bordering the Maud Foster are Witham (represented by Councillors Graham Dovey and Jim Blaylock) and Pilgrim (Councillor John Ruskin)
To the east, the wards are North (Councillor Gerry Clare and deputy leader Peter Jordan) and Skirbeck (Councillors Anne Dorrian, Paddy Rush and Dave Hobson.)
We hope that at some point they might take on board the need for action to improved this potential jewel in the crown of their ward, but we won't be holding our breath.
Jim Blaylock is co-incidentally cabinet member for play areas, and he told the paper which reported the latest story: "Every week we check each play area to make sure it is safe for children and families.
"If we receive a complaint we do follow it up and check the area. But, it is just not possible to do this every day.
"I would appeal to people not to drop bottles and litter in the play areas as this incident shows it can cause injury."
Thanks, Jim, that'll do it!
To add insult to the irony, another two of the councillors listed are members of the enthusiastically lethargic Better Boston Group - but if they can't spot something on their doorstep that so obviously needs bettering we feel they should consider re-naming the group!

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