A former MSP has hit out after litter was left strewn across several areas of Dundee.
Jenny Marra says overflowing bins and “filthy” streets are a health hazard.
The former Scottish Labour politician has urged Dundee City Council to “go public” about how often it is cleaning the streets and how it plans to tackle the problem.
Ms Marra, 45, shared a picture on social media of overflowing bins on Nethergate on Wednesday.
She has also posted images of litter at Murraygate, High Street and Lochee in recent days.
The Perth road. Just incase anyone is in doubt about the scale of the problem with street cleanliness @LynnesnpR @CllrAlexander Can you please tidy and clean our streets @DundeeCouncil ? @dundeewestend pic.twitter.com/5ZS9lDlKZI
— Jenny Marra (@JennyMarra) June 28, 2023
It comes as other residents have reported mess in other locations in Dundee in recent days – mainly involving large communal Eurobins.
The mess on Nethergate has since been cleaned up, but Ms Marra told The Courier: “The streets are absolutely filthy – it looks like they haven’t been washed in months.
“They are covered in litter, in chewing gum, in birds’ mess, in cigarette ends, and it has just got worse and worse and worse.
“Everyone I speak to feels the same.”
Health fears over ‘filthy’ Dundee streets
Ms Marra says it is not just about how the city looks.
She said: “It is about the health and wellbeing of our citizens.
“There are lots of flats in our city where these Eurobins are spilling out all over the place.
“It attracts vermin and it is a health and environmental hazard.
“It is the basic job of the council to keep our streets clean and tidy, and they’re not doing it.”
One resident in the West End contacted The Courier to highlight mess from Eurobins on Magdalen Yard Road.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: “The current recycling system is clearly failing as this is happening all the time.
“I’m regularly finding the Eurobins overflowing.
“By and large, the stuff spilling out into the street is in the wrong bin anyway.”
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “Our bin collection crews and street cleansing teams work hard to provide a full and high standard of service to the whole of the city.
“Members of the public can report any issues about refuse collections or street cleansing directly to us which will be followed up on at the earliest opportunity.”
It comes as a new strategy to tackle fly tipping and littering is published by the Scottish Government.
The six-year agenda, unveiled on Wednesday, will see fly-tipping fines raised from £200 to £500 and fresh powers to fine drivers who throw rubbish from vehicles.
More than £280 million a year is spent cleaning up litter in Scotland, which environmental campaigners say is the worst in a decade.
