The heartbroken mother of a Dundee teenager found dead a year ago says a “disgusting and repulsive” mess is ruining her son’s memorial bench.
It is 12 months since Alec McDonald, who was 16, went missing from his home in Thurso Crescent, Menzieshill.
Days later a man walking his dog in a field close to the Landmark Hotel just off Kingsway West discovered his body.
To mark the anniversary Alec’s mother Fiona McDonald (49) had intended to spend time at the wooden bench to the rear of the family home.
But instead she admitted she had been forced to cover up the memorial and make alternative plans because raw sewage, including sanitary towels, toilet paper and other objects, is lying on open land just yards away.DisgustingThe mess was first noticed around six weeks ago and was caused by a leaking drain, which forced the waste to the surface.
Normally popular with dog walkers and youngsters playing football, the parcel of land affected backs on to a block of flats where Miss McDonald lives.
Only last week engineers from Scottish Water fixed the leak and had intended for their contractors to clean up the sewage however this did not happen.
The publicly-funded body, which prides itself on “improving the quality of life for our customers”, said last night they would address the issue immediately.
Despite this Miss McDonald insists the clean-up should have been done long before now.
“I think it is pathetic they have waited so long to clean this up,” she said.
“If I was a dog walker and caught not cleaning up its mess the council would be on me like a ton of bricks. But that out there is a disgrace.
“You could have dogs running through it and then dragging it into homes. It is not safe.
“Even in the evening when you are making dinner and have a look outside and see it it puts you right off your appetite.”FrustrationMeanwhile Laura McKenzie (31), who lives in the same block of flats, struggled to put into words her frustration.
“I am just so disappointed nothing has been done yet. My nine-year-old girl plays football around there but she can’t because of that. It is a health risk especially to local children.”
A company spokesman said, “Contractors working for Scottish Water will complete a clean-up of the affected area immediately. The block to the waste water network was removed last week, with a clean-up scheduled for that time.
“It will be necessary for us to contact our contractor to find out why this was not completed. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this delay.”