Disregard for beauty spot (May Gair)
Jim TaitWe have waited some time for the weather to improve and now the sun has made an appearance, as usual it would seem that some Shetlanders completely lose their wit.
If you live in Lerwick and want to get to a handy beach, the beautiful Sands of Sound is undoubtedly the place to go. I walk in this area all year round with my peerie dog and always go armed with the obligatory dog-poo bags and do my duty as a responsible citizen so that others can also enjoy the unspoilt beauty Shetland has to offer.
Isn’t it a shame though that some of the folk who only venture forth on our fine sunny days to the Sands of Sound armed with portable barbecues, cans and bottles of alcohol, beach towels, paper plates, plastic cutlery etc, etc, and all carried there in polythene bags, seem unable to carry all the empty bags, bottles and other bruck home with them after their beach party for disposal in their own rubbish bins. Instead they choose to leave them strewn all over the beach and surrounding areas.
I would imagine that writing this letter to the paper will serve absolutely no purpose whatsoever. It is unlikely that those same ignorant people who fail to act as responsible citizens during the week will be bothering to sit down and read the Readers’ Views in The Shetland Times on a Friday.
But I feel so strongly about this blatant disregard shown by those inconsiderate few for the health, safety and enjoyment of all other responsible beach users, that by putting pen to paper it may go in some small way towards making even one or two of those litter louts re-think before they tootle off, home leaving the lovely beach polluted with their debris.
My advice to those irresponsible people would be: don’t bother dragging all your bruck to the Sands of Sound in the first place – just stay at home and have your barbecues and leave all the bruck and broken bottles lying around in your own gardens for your bairns and pets to wade through, thus making the Sands of Sound a safer place for the more responsible citizens to enjoy.
May Gair
Gletness,
Westerloch Drive,
Lerwick.
Ernie Lea
This seems to be a National trend to dump rubbish on lovely parks and beaches.
I walk my dog everyday around the local play park where kids play on the slides.There are five rubbish bins located at suitable points around the park.
Nearly every day I see empty beer cans,Chinese food wrappers and other bits of junk scattered around within feet of the bins.
Dog poo where kids have to play near the swings.
I am sorry to say that these louts with nothing between their ears will continue to dump rubbish until there is a response from authorities to arrest these cretins.
A dog walker who gets caught not picking up after his dog could be fined up to £1000.
I haven’t heard of anyone who has been convicted of this “crime”.
Perhaps CCTV is the answer,I don’t know.
We as a nation are becoming a non caring lot.
Perhaps a couple of years National Service could put things right!
Arlene Bristow
Well said May, I walked by yesterday morning (dog poo bags in pocket) and it was a disgrace, I had been on the beach about 4pm the day before with Charlie(7) and we were compelled to leave when a group of foul mouthed yobs complete with 3 boxes of beer and a Staffie off the lead (and sniffing the back of my neck!) planted themselves near us. Thank goodness wir old dog was at home in the shade. As I say I walked over the beach again yesterday and it was as if several black bags had burst really upsetting when you love and respect these places, Needless to say I doubt if they cleaned up after the dog as they are totally unwilling to tidy up after themselves. No point in confronting them as all you get is a mouthful of abuse. Sad times.
Martyn Fisher
Yes i was a bit shocked at the state of Saint Ninians beach yesterday. Although give a lot of folks there due as the litter bins were full and overflowing. Most people come in cars. Is it that big a problem to take rubbish home with you ?.
Gary Cooper
Same problem at my local beach at Newburgh, Aberdeenshire – being utterly ruined by bruck-louts. What I find quite remakable is the quantity of ‘poo’ being left behind on the beach and walkways in the bags, therefore preserving the contents for years to come! There are bins available so no excuse, just laziness and very bad manners.
Susie Smith
I agree – I was in the Tesco car park the there day when the woman in the car next to me blatantly opened her car door and tipped all the rubbish from her car on to the ground next to her – watched by her partner – who then drove off – leaving it all blowing about – where on earth do they think its going to go after that????
Lesley Simpson
Our Relay for Life team cleaned St Ninian’s beach on Friday morning as part of the Community Council initiative to keep the Blue Flag status and I am really disappointed to hear from Martyn above that all our efforts (and those of the bairns that came and helped clean up on their day off school) have been in vain! It really sickens me that some people have so little regard for the rest of us and for wir beautiful home that they act in such a selfish and ignorant manner.
David Thaw
Thank you for having the courage to challenge the selfish and careless behaviour shown by a few people last weekend. It was so sad to see the state of Meal beach on Monday – one of the most beautiful places in the world spoiled by cans, bottles and barbecues. I hope all your letters will help to start a campaign to better value and protect our wonderful, precious natural environment.
roberta clubb
a few pictures in the paper might be a reasonable idea . folk might recognise their pile o rubbish before it
roberta clubb
before it scatters
Robert Sim
This is a real problem and it strikes me it is exactly the sort of issue where a local newspaper could make a difference by highlighting the problem, quizzing councillors about what they are going to do etc etc. Anyone in the Shetland Times up for it?
E Lockwood
Give everyone a number linking her or him to purchased items. Any discarded packaging or containers recovered outdoors would lead to appropriate legal action. Keep it in the private sector…
Bronwen Johnson
We will be visiting Sands of Sound beach in May this year, and I PROMISE to you that we will take our rubbish away with us (as always).
We’re an extended family, of 17, aged from 1yr to 80yrs, and will be bringing picnics, and other paraphernalia I’m sure, but would never, ever dream of leaving litter.
I don’t understand it!