Angus Council has been told to clean up its act over the “disgusting ” litter-strewn state of the A90 roadside.
Anti-litter campaigner, Councillor Lynne Devine branded the dumped rubbish an “embarrassment” and said Scotland was “the litter capital of Europe.”
The problem has escalated in recent months with motorists regularly having to drive past a carpet of rubbish at the side of the north and south-bound carriageways.
Torn tyres, bottles, cans, plastic bags and other rubbish line the route which cuts through Angus.
BEAR Scotland, which maintains the north east trunk road network, has contacted the local authority requesting the removal of the litter.
SNP Angus Councillor Lynne Devine, who has led the fight against litter in Forfar for the past six years, branded it “absolutely disgusting”.
She said: “There is no doubt it has got worse along the sides of the roads, and into Dundee as well.
“I know people who have had European visitors who have asked what has happened to our beautiful country.
“Angus is marketed as Scotland’s birthplace but it’s a major embarrassment.
“The clear-ups should be done before the grass starts growing and it needs to be done two or three times a year – but people should stop dropping litter.”
A BEAR Scotland spokesperson said: “Whilst BEAR Scotland maintains the north east trunk road network on behalf of Transport Scotland, local authorities retain responsibility for compliance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to keep trunk roads clear of litter and refuse, other than on motorways and special roads.
“We have recently noted accumulations of litter throughout the north east trunk road unit and have written to all the relevant local authorities requesting cleansing is programmed.”
An Angus Council spokesman said: “The issue of roadside littering is a national problem, but one we take seriously in Angus as we recognise the detrimental affect it can have.
“Verge cleaning on a busy dual carriageway such as the A90 requires specialist equipment, vehicles and training to ensure work is carried out safely, but our resources are focused towards hot spot areas as a priority.
“We also employ seasonal staff to assist in cleaning verges across Angus and are grateful to our many volunteers who work hard to improve their areas through individual and organised litter picks.”
The spokesman said the authority worked with a range of organisations, including Zero Waste Scotland and was one of the first councils to champion Keep Scotland Beautiful’s roadside litter campaign last year.
“We started a year-long trial as part of the campaign involving the 32 laybys we have along the Angus stretch of the A90,” he added.
“Eleven laybys had bins removed, 10 where the bins remained unchanged and 11 had bins where bins were stickered with messaging encouraging their use.
“We are still monitoring how and if public behaviour is influenced.
“Ultimately, we would rather raise awareness and change attitudes than have the expense of cleaning up after people who show little regard for the environment, but there is still much to do.
“Anyone dropping litter could receive a fixed penalty notice of £80.”
