Portsmouth Sikhs apologise after 'out of towners' at festival leave piles of rubbish at Southsea's Canoe Lake

The Portsmouth Sikh community has offered a “complete and sheer apology” to the city after out-of-town visitors left litter at Canoe Lake.

Residents and local councillors have raised concerns about the amount of rubbish left following a gathering at the site on April 14.

Resident groups and Colas, Portsmouth City Council’s contractor, were seen litter-picking food and drink containers the following day.

Councillor Joe Standen, leader of the Reform UK group, said he “fully supports people coming together in our public spaces” but said the large, organised gathering left the area “mistreated and quite frankly abused”.

“That’s not fair on local residents, families or the many people who work hard to care for these spaces.”

The gathering took place to celebrate Vaisakhi, a major religious festival that marks the inauguration of Sikhism as it is practised today.

Jaswant Singh, a member of the Guru Nanak Sar Gurdwara committee, which serves as a local place of worship in the city, said he was “disgusted” by the state Canoe Lake was left in.

He noted those attending had travelled from Basingstoke, Reading, west London, Southbourne and Brentford.

He said: “from a Sikh perspective we would like to extend a complete and sheer apology to the public of Portsmouth, to the city of Portsmouth and the people who had to clean this up”.

He added that the visitors had been “completely disrespectful” and “out of order” as they have “given local Sikhs a very bad name”.

Mr Singh said Sikhs have been part of Portsmouth since the early 1940s and feel “very integrated” in the city, adding they were “very sad to see this happen”.

“We are so proud that we’re part of the furniture in Portsmouth, sometimes I forget to wear a turban.”

On the level of criticism online, he said that “everyone has a right to their opinions” but encouraged the community to “bear with us” while they rectify the issue.

Mr Singh said the committee will liaise with Sikh communities elsewhere in the country to help prevent the issue happening again.

He added the Gurdwara has begun organising litter picks to “do their bit” for the community and encouraged residents to contact Jhoad Singh, the Gurdwara manager, if any further issues arise.

The Gurdwara is also hosting a free, family-friendly and alcohol-free event in Castle Fields on April 18, featuring food stalls, a bouncy castle, face painting and live music from midday to 7pm.

It is understood Portsmouth City Council is taking steps to reduce the risk of the issue recurring, including a stronger on-site presence, restricting vehicle access, clearer signage and additional caged bins.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded in 15th-century Punjab, India. It is sometimes conflated with Islam, which originated in 7th-century Arabia, although the two faiths have distinct beliefs and practices.