Discarded plastic bottles pictured in a pedestrian walkway beside Plaza Café & Bistro in Newcastle Great Park. The business claims staff have spent weeks removing bottles believed to contain urine and has appealed for the behaviour to stop. The contents and origin of the bottles have not been independently verified. Photo: Plaza Café & Bistro / Facebook
A popular Newcastle Great Park café has issued an angry public appeal after claiming that bottles containing urine have repeatedly been thrown into a pedestrian walkway beside its premises, warning that children could unknowingly come into contact with them.
Plaza Café & Bistro, situated in the heart of Newcastle Great Park town centre, says staff have spent weeks discovering and disposing of discarded bottles which they believe contain urine.
The business has now taken to Facebook to express its frustration, claiming that somebody has been throwing the bottles from a nearby residential property.
The café says it has already informed building management and landlords and has repositioned one of its security cameras in an attempt to establish who is responsible.
Photographs accompanying its statement show discarded plastic bottles lying in a narrow paved walkway between brick buildings.
The post has raised concerns about hygiene, public safety and the behaviour of whoever may be responsible.
However, the identity of the person involved has not been established, and the café's account of where the bottles originated has not been independently verified.
Café Says Staff Have Been Cleaning Up the Bottles for Weeks
In a strongly worded Facebook statement published on Thursday 12 November 2026, Plaza Café & Bistro revealed that the problem had allegedly been continuing for several weeks.
The business opened its statement with:
"It's time we spoke up."
Addressing whoever was responsible, the café claimed that bottles containing urine had been thrown from nearby flats into the pedestrian walkway to the right of its premises.
Staff said they had been disposing of the bottles themselves rather than leaving them where members of the public might encounter them.
The café expressed particular concern for children, explaining that staff did not want youngsters to stumble across the bottles or mistake their contents for a drink.
The post made clear that staff had reached the end of their patience.
"Enough is absolute enough."
While discarded litter is an unwelcome sight anywhere, the allegation that bottles may contain bodily fluids raises additional concerns about public hygiene and the safe use of an area visited by families.
Photographs Show Bottles Discarded Along Walkway
Photographs shared by Plaza Café & Bistro show a narrow pedestrian passage running between two brick buildings in Great Park town centre.
Several discarded plastic bottles can be seen lying close to the building walls and on the paving.
The passage is situated close to local businesses and residential accommodation.
The photographs provide evidence that bottles were present in the area when they were taken.
However, the images alone cannot establish what the bottles contained, who placed them there or whether they were thrown from a window.
Those allegations are based on the café's public account.
There has been no public confirmation of the identity of the person responsible.
Security Camera Repositioned as Café Issues Warning
The café says it has now taken additional steps to investigate the situation.
According to its Facebook statement, one of its security cameras has deliberately been repositioned to monitor the affected walkway.
The business warned whoever was responsible that the activity needed to stop and called for the bottles already discarded to be removed.
It also confirmed that building management and landlords had been informed about the situation.
The café's message was particularly forceful, reflecting the frustration of a local business whose staff say they have repeatedly been left dealing with an unpleasant problem.
Whether any camera footage has captured an incident has not been disclosed.
The business has not publicly identified an individual in connection with the allegations.
Which Part of Great Park Is Affected?
Plaza Café & Bistro operates from Bowmont House on Wagonway Drive, within Newcastle Great Park town centre.
The surrounding area includes shops, restaurants, residential properties and pedestrian routes regularly used by local residents.
The incident is reported to concern a walkway directly beside the café.
Although the business referred to nearby flats in its statement, it has not publicly established which individual or property is responsible.
Great Park Gazette is therefore not identifying a particular residential block as the source of the alleged activity.
There is no suggestion that residents of the surrounding flats generally are responsible for the incidents.
The concern relates to the alleged actions of an unidentified individual, not the wider residential community.
Middleton North Flats: What Is Bernicia's Involvement?
The reported incidents have raised questions about the neighbouring Middleton North apartments on Wagonway Drive, Newcastle Great Park.
Great Park Gazette understands that concerns about bottles allegedly being thrown into the walkway relate to these flats.
The development includes residential properties associated with Bernicia, a North East housing association.
Bernicia's own published investment programme for 2026/27 lists planned heating improvements for 14 homes at Middleton North, confirming its involvement with housing at the development.
However, it has not been independently established which property the bottles originated from, or who may have been responsible.
There is no suggestion that residents of Middleton North generally are involved.
The café has confirmed that building management and landlords have already been notified of its concerns.
Bernicia operates a dedicated antisocial behaviour reporting service and says it works with residents, local authorities and the police to investigate complaints.
Great Park Gazette believes the circumstances warrant an appropriate investigation to identify whoever is responsible, ensure the walkway is made safe and prevent further incidents.
We would welcome clarification from Bernicia about whether it has received a complaint concerning the reported incidents and what measures may be available to address the situation.
Why Discarded Bottles Could Pose a Health and Safety Concern
The prospect of bottles containing urine being left in a public walkway is understandably concerning, particularly in an area frequented by families.
Human urine is not automatically infectious, but discarded bottles containing bodily fluids should still be treated as potentially contaminated waste.
There may also be other substances present that cannot be identified without examining the bottles.
Young children could be particularly vulnerable if they pick up a discarded container or attempt to drink from it.
The issue also raises concerns about the responsibilities of whoever manages and maintains the affected walkway.
Public and communal pedestrian routes should be kept reasonably clean and safe for people using them.
Where potentially contaminated waste is discovered, appropriate precautions and safe cleaning arrangements are important.
Residents encountering suspicious discarded containers should avoid opening them, touching their contents or allowing children to handle them.
What Can Be Done About Repeated Dumping?
Newcastle City Council provides facilities for residents and businesses to report litter and illegally deposited waste.
The council explains that fly-tipping and unauthorised waste disposal can be investigated, with enforcement action possible where sufficient evidence exists.
Whether this particular incident would be treated as littering, fly-tipping or another offence would depend on the circumstances and any evidence obtained.
There is an important distinction between reporting waste for removal and establishing who was responsible for leaving it.
If the affected walkway is privately managed, the landowner or management company may be responsible for arranging cleaning.
Newcastle City Council states that it does not routinely clear fly-tipped waste from privately owned land.
However, environmental protection officers may be able to investigate certain incidents, depending on the evidence and the risks involved.
Anyone with relevant information should provide it to the appropriate authorities or property management representatives rather than making public accusations against individual residents.
Residents can find official advice through Newcastle City Council's fly-tipping information page.
The council can also be contacted on 0191 278 7878.
Local Businesses Should Not Have to Deal With This
Independent businesses are an important part of Newcastle Great Park's growing town centre.
Plaza Café & Bistro is a popular meeting place for residents, serving food and drinks throughout the week and hosting community activities and events.
Businesses such as Plaza help create the welcoming atmosphere that residents want from their local shopping and leisure facilities.
Their staff should be able to focus on customers and running their businesses rather than repeatedly cleaning up discarded waste from surrounding communal spaces.
If the café's account is accurate, the repeated dumping of bottles containing urine represents an unacceptable burden on staff and a potential hazard for people using the walkway.
It is reasonable for the business to expect the situation to be taken seriously and properly investigated.
At the same time, establishing responsibility requires evidence, and innocent neighbours should not be blamed simply because they live close to the affected area.
Café Appeals for the Behaviour to Stop
The café's public message leaves little doubt about the frustration it is experiencing.
Staff say they have been dealing with the problem for weeks and have now decided that public attention is necessary.
The business has urged whoever is responsible to stop immediately and remove any remaining bottles.
With building management and landlords reportedly notified, attention will now turn to whether the situation can be resolved and whether any further incidents occur.
Great Park Gazette has not independently confirmed whether a formal report has been made to Newcastle City Council or Northumbria Police.
It is also not yet known whether any footage or other evidence has established the source of the bottles.
Have Your Say
Have you noticed discarded bottles or other litter around Newcastle Great Park town centre?
Do you use the pedestrian walkway beside Plaza Café & Bistro?
Do you believe more should be done to address littering, antisocial behaviour and the maintenance of communal areas across Great Park?
And should local businesses receive more support when they are repeatedly left dealing with waste deposited in nearby public spaces?
Great Park Gazette would like to hear your views.
Join the discussion in the Great Park Residents Group on Facebook.
Anyone with direct information about these incidents is encouraged to contact the appropriate authorities or building management rather than identify or confront suspected individuals publicly.
Great Park Gazette will continue following this story and welcomes updates from Plaza Café & Bistro, the relevant property managers and Newcastle City Council.
This report is based on a public statement and photographs shared by Plaza Café & Bistro on 12 November 2026. The café's allegations concerning the contents and origin of the bottles have not been independently verified, and no individual has been identified as responsible.
