Time to get tough on litter louts

Jan 14 2009

Sir, – So our council should take more pride in the city, according to Mike Day (Observer, January 7).

Mr Day is to be applauded for highlighting the disgusting state of Stirling’s streets and roads – they are shameful. However, it’s all too easy to point the finger at just the council.

Yes, the local authority’s street cleansing performance leaves much to be desired.

But they don’t deposit the litter and rubbish and it certainly doesn’t generate itself.

No, the blame for the untidy appearance of our city lies fairly and squarely with people, possibly some of our visitors but primarily a large proportion of those who call Stirling home.

It would appear that a substantial section of a generation has been allowed to grow up believing it is acceptable practice to spit in the street, use foul language in public, discard chewed gum on the pavements, dispose of unwanted and broken goods at random and, of course, throw litter away wherever they please.

Unfortunately it seems that those people are now raising a new generation in exactly the same way.

Stirling seems to be cursed with more than its fair share of residents who have no civic conscience or pride.

Instead of taking the easy option of pointing the finger at the council for not adequately clearing up the results of this problem, perhaps it’s time to address the more difficult option: changing the attitude of the offending section of the community.

Maybe it’s also time to actually enforce the laws available. Yours, etc.

JOHN BROWNBILL

Dunblane