A father and daughter cleaned up Forfar town centre after Hogmanay revellers left it in a ‘shocking’ state.
Ewan Douglas, 44, and his nine-year-old daughter Martha armed themselves with dustpans and brushes to clean up piles of rubbish and broken glass on New Year’s Day.
They took it upon themselves as they thought Angus Council workers would be enjoying some time off over the festive period.
‘A little bit of kindness goes a long way’ says Forfar dad
Ewan told The Courier: “It was kind of shocking to see.
“We took a broom with us, a brush and pan, and some bin bags.
“It was just good to see the town looking a bit better.
“It was bad because people were walking into Gregg’s, which had its windows broken as well.
“I’d rather do something about it than think about it.
“I just think, if everyone does a little bit of something that shows a little bit of kindness it goes a long way.
Martha described the scene they were met with upon arrival.
“There were Wagon Wheels and cans, lots of Domino’s pizza boxes,” she said.
“Across the road there was even dog food poured out, vapes and some pills, and the bin was open and messy.”
It took the pair less than an hour to clean the area but their good deed didn’t go unnoticed.
Praise from Forfar community for clean-up
A local snapped a photograph of Ewan and Martha cleaning up the mess and posted it to Facebook, where it was instantly met with praise and gratitude from the community.
One person said: “Well done to that gentleman & I presume his daughter.
“Showing a great example to his daughter.
“There are a lot of good people out there.
“It’s a shame they don’t get the recognition they deserve.
“Well done you two.”
Ewan and Martha said it was a pleasant surprise to receive public recognition for their work and that people should try to help someone this time of year.
A spokesperson for Angus Council said: “The provost and the council are less impressed with those who lack a sense of pride in their community and think that it’s perfectly acceptable to discard their rubbish, here there and anywhere.
“It’s not okay.
“We have 907 litter bins and 613 dog litter bins available for use across Angus and, of course, there’s the option of taking rubbish home to dispose of it there.
“There’s no excuse.
“Community members can also let us know via our web site if they feel there are any public areas that are under provided in terms of litter bins.”
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