Litter a disgrace

I ADMIT that I distrust the usual utterances of SNP ministers, but I now repent and vote Yes to Richard Lochhead’s campaign, “Let’s Keep Scotland Beautiful” (Platform, 18 June).

Our statistics of 250 million littered items plus 60,000 incidents of fly-tipping costing Scotland £53 million annually are a national disgrace.

Why we deface our beautiful cities and countryside in this way is beyond belief.

I have just returned from a Danube cruise which stopped off in five countries – Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary – and every small town or capital visited was visibly cleaner, tidier and prouder of its presentation to visitors compared with the UK.

All these countries are in poorer economic positions than Scotland but accept cleanliness as a debt to their neighbours and a civic duty to be observed.

Higher fines can help to change our national attitude (I mean the UK, not just Scotland) but all of us must raise our personal standards and act against the litter louts.

ANGUS BROWN

Longforgan

Dundee