St Boswells spring clean volunteers in supermarket trolleys river sweep

Community council chair John Pollock said: “People travel from all over Britain to walk the St Cuthbert’s Way and it is hoped our efforts will contribute to their enjoyment of the scenery.

“The amount of discarded paper, plastic, fast-food containers, etc. was much the same as last year at 42 bags.

“This is slightly disappointing considering that some unsung heroes already pick up litter when out walking, or make a point of keeping their own patch clean and tidy.”

Mr Pollock added: “A villager recently commented that Scottish Borders Council is responsible for clearing litter and that these efforts of the community council were masking their failure to perform this duty.

“This is not a realistic view. For many years funding to public services has been frozen or cut, and Scottish Borders Council no longer has the manpower or resources to clean up all the litter left at roadsides or riversides by those too lazy or careless to take it home or dispose of it properly.”

There was an increase in volunteer numbers from the 2018 spring clean – up from 22 to 33.

The 2019 event organiser was Ralph Parker, and Dougie Oliver used his van to collect the filled bags and large items, bringing them to the bus station from where they were uplifted by the council.