Worthing Borough Council was delighted when spinster Mary Shaw left £100,000 for a project it could not normally fund.

But its plans to convert Liverpool Gardens in the town centre into a restful haven with new paths and a fountain look likely to fail.

The reason is the executor of Miss Shaw's will is worried about the amount of rubbish customers of a nearby McDonald's restaurant leave in the gardens.

He is right to be alarmed. There is often a huge amount of rubbish there and it should no longer be tolerated.

McDonalds carries out litter picks but they are obviously not frequent enough to deal with the problem.

The restaurant should supply less packing and remind customers more forcefully not to leave unsightly litter everywhere.

The council should take action either against McDonald's or its customers to remind them litter in these lovely gardens is unacceptable.

It would be tragic for the town centre if, as a result of the rubbish, the executor had to tell the council to burger off.