Do YOU know the Phantom Mini-Wine Drinker of London? Locals hunt for booze fan who has discarded more than 100 tiny bottles of pinot grigio in a park this year
- Residents in Ickenham, north west London are searching for a litter bug
- The secret drinker left the empty wine bottles strewn across Swakeley’s Park
- Residents first noticed the small 187 cl bottles bein dumped around their home
Locals are on the hunt for a phantom wine drinker who has discarded more than 100 miniature bottles of pinot grigio in a park over the past three months.
Notices have this week been pinned to trees in Swakeleys Park in Ickenham, north west London, as the hunt for the ‘secret wine drinker’ is stepped up.
Residents living in The Avenue – a private road where four-bed homes sell for around £2m – first started spotting empty bottles of Stowells pinot grigio dotted around the tranquil park in January.
Locals in Ickenham are trying to identify a secret wine drinker who has dumped more than 100 miniature bottles of pinot grigio around Swakeley’s Park over the past three months
Locals suspect a dog walker is downing the Italian wine before dumping the bottle in the park
Locals, whose houses are worth more than £2 million are outraged by the constant littering
In the following weeks and months, more and more of the bottles were found, with 23 found in one litter-picking session alone, and more than 100 in the past three months.
The ‘single serve’ bottles contain 18.7cl – of white wine – enough for a ‘normal’ glass.
Some of the locals – determined to track down the litterbug – have even set up rotas to patrol the park on the lookout for the culprit.
The signs, which are pinned to trees throughout the park, shows 24 bottles of Stowells pinot grigio and states: ‘Are you the secret Stowells mini wine bottle drinker?
‘Collected 23 bottles in 1 litter pick alone from the woods leading to Swakeleys Park. Over 100 collected in the last few months.
‘Have you considered: Taking the bottles home? Putting your empty bottles in the bin? Buying the larger bottle for better value?’
The bottles have been found dotted all around the park – home to the magnificent Jacobean mansion, Swakeleys House – usually in undergrowth, but also on walkways and by benches.
Local Steve Harris, 52, said he reckoned the ‘secret boozer’ was a dog walker who liked a tipple as they walked around the park with their pooch.
He said: ‘We’ve found more than 100 bottles over the past three months, so that’s like one-a-day.
‘I’m guessing it’s a dog walker who likes a drink while going round the park.
‘There’s nothing wrong with that I can see why they have mini bottles as it would be a bit much walking around with a full-sized bottle or a glass, but they need to put their empties in the bin.’
Another local, who asked not to be named, said she had set up ‘patrols’ of the park with her neighbours.
She said: ‘We have decided to take turns going round the park, one of us goes first thing in the morning, another in the afternoon and the other the evening.
‘We’ve been doing it for the past week, but have not had any luck yet*it’s just a matter of time though.’
A box of 12 mini bottles of Stowells pinot grigio costs £33 on Amazon.
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