Letters: Visitors leaving trail of litter on way to museum and back

I WALKED from the Central Library to the National Museum of Scotland and was horrified at the disgusting state of George IV Bridge.

The Chambers Street museum, which reopened after being closed for three years, has been highly praised for its wondrous refurbishment.

Tens of thousands have visited and the endless throng going to and from George IV Bridge has resulted in overflowing litter bins and gutters full of rubbish; bottles, paper bags, cans and food containers.

I would have thought that the city council would have made sure that the bins in this exceedingly crowded thoroughfare would be emptied hourly because of the enormous crowds.

The city benefits greatly at Festival time, so I do believe the least we can do is present the many visitors with a clean and tidy city instead of the foul and filthy dump it has become.

Charles Quinn,

Belhaven Terrace,

Morningside, Edinburgh

Riots are crisis in England, not UK

MUCH criticism has been made of the First Minister's comment that the chaos enveloping many of England's towns and cities should not be described by the media as a "UK crisis".

This is, however, nothing more than a statement of the obvious. As tourists continue to arrive in Scotland, many attracted to Edinburgh and its flourishing festivals, it is vital that we do nothing that can deter them setting foot on our shores.

So, as the riots currently affect only London and English towns and cities, this should be described as an "English crisis" and it is rather unfair to the portray the rest of the UK as being similarly affected.

One can rest assured that should riots, for example, have hit the likes of Glasgow, Dundee or Aberdeen, these would not have been described in the London media as "UK riots", but as "Scottish riots".

Alex Orr,

Leamington Terrace,

Edinburgh

State should be protecting us

THE first duty of the state is to protect the life, liberty and property of its citizens. It seems that this is something that our governing class of politicians and senior public sector officials has entirely forgotten.

Also, it is significant that where the men of the local community have come out in force to defend their neighbourhoods and properties - the Turks in parts of Haringey, for example - there has been little trouble.

These gatherings have been effective because they are a credible threat of force against the rioters - a threat that our governing class no doubt views as unlawful.

If our rulers continue to view the social contract under which we allow them to defend us and our property with contempt, then they should not be surprised if people increasingly resort to defending themselves.

Otto Inglis,

Inveralmond Grove,

Cramond, EdinburghImmigrants need some support

AS chair of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council, I write to express our disappointment with the article "Hundreds of immigrants working illegally in the Capital" (News, August 8).

The article appears to perpetuate a stereotype that migrants from countries such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and China are more likely to be illegal immigrants than immigrants from other countries.

The article failed to establish the precise number of these illegal immigrants in relation to the immigrant population of the city. It also failed to point out that the immigrant restaurant business is an important part of the economy of Scotland and should not be damaged because of the misguided behaviour of a few people.

No reference was made to other areas where illegal immigrants have been found. The vast number of racist comments online following this article confirms that racism is still rife in our society.

We acknowledge that migrants working illegally is a concern. However, we would urge that appropriate support is given to these individuals so they are not exploited by unethical employers or become victims of human traffickers.

Foysol Choudhury MBE,

Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council