Glenrothes litter louts have been described as “ignorant” in a stinging attack by a local councillor.
John Wincott said a worldwide search for solutions must be launched to tackle the problem in the town, and that any successful initiatives must be adopted in order to keep local streets clean.
Town councillors were briefed on Fife Council’s efforts to tackle litter in Glenrothes, a war that many feel is being lost.
Mr Wincott said: “Littering is an issue. If we didn’t collect bins for a week then people would be shocked. It is lack of pride, self-awareness and manners.
“It is ignorant and I think that we need to change that behaviour.If there is anyone in the UK or world that has got a way of making sure that people don’t drop litter that works then we want it here in Glenrothes.”
Ward members agreed that while the Glenrothes area has no particular litter problem when compared to other Fife towns, there remained several hotspots.
There was also criticism of bin placements in public places, while many were despondent by the inconsistent spacing between some receptacles.
Fast food chains were singled out by some councillors, with calls for local authority officers to liaise with the operators and ensure that more is done to prevent customers from littering once their food has been eaten.
Mr Wincott’s strong stance against litterers gained support from fellow councillor Ross Vettraino, who described those who drop litter as “environmental vandals”.
Calling for tougher penalties against those who drop rubbish, he said: “I keep my car taxed and insured because the penalties for not doing so ensure I want to do the right thing.
“We need to step up enforcement resources.Instead we are spending money on campaigns. I don’t think it can be done at an area committee level but it is something that as a council we need to think about for the future.”
jowatson@thecourier.co.uk.
