Mess by the Ness as campaigner collects dozens of bottles
The discovery of more than 140 discarded bottles and broken glass near a popular children’s play park in Inverness has horrified an anti-litter campaigner visiting the city.
Pete Miners came across the glass debris near Whin Park and the Ness Islands, by the banks of the River Ness, over two separate days.
In a symbolic gesture, he arranged them in the shape of a Nessie and the word "Ness" and posted photographs on a social media page dedicated to highlighting the growing litter problem.
"I was quite shocked at the amounts because I’d formed the opinion over the past 12 months that the Ness must be quite clean," he said.
"I’d looked up comments made by a group of local divers who surveyed the river bed and said it was very clean.
"I was disappointed to locate so many bottles in that area that surely must be covered by the council maintenance team. Quite how many are thrown directly into the river or get picked up from the banks in spates, doesn’t bear thinking about."
Mr Miners (54), from Elgin, who was accompanied by his border collie Alfie, initially recovered 82 bottles but collected another 60 when he returned two days later.
Many were under holly bushes, brambles or trees, while some lay deep in the undergrowth and a few were almost buried completely.
Mr Miners, who posted his photographs on the Coast of Moray Beachcleaners’ Facebook page, said most of the bottles were at risk of being carried down river by the next spate of water.
The first batch was taken for recycling by staff at the park’s miniature railway, while Mr Miners left the second batch for the council to pick up.
"There is also a sickening amount of broken glass along the edge of the riverbank - unlike anything I’ve come across in Moray," he said. "Surely, this ought to be picked up?"
It is not the first time Mr Miners has taken photographs of rubbish in the Inverness area. Last year, he came across 51 discarded bottles strewn randomly with other rubbish such as tyres and plastic bottles while walking along Alturlie beach, east of the city.
Since last year he has also found a staggering 1737 glass bottles on the banks of the River Lossie and 3662 on the Moray Firth, including inland woods locations around Elgin.
"I don’t think issuing glass bottles to human beings is a good idea at all," he said.
"The politicians need to think about how thickly these bottles will lie everywhere in 500 or 5000 years."
Inverness West SNP councillor Allan Duffy said he felt strongly about rubbish being discarded but did not believe the problem at Whin Park was as bad as Mr Miners made out.
"In general it is clean," he said. "I know he is trying to highlight the issue but he is making it sound worse.
"I could take him places that are a lot worse – probably places in Elgin."
Councillor Duffy said council staff tidied and cleaned up the park. "They are not going to do a deep clean every day," he said.
"As long as the areas where the public go are clean and tidy and there is no broken glass, I am happy about that."
