AN Inverness pensioner is so fed up with the discarded food wrappers, paper cups and other litter he sees when out walking his dog or on trips to Asda that he started a lone litter-pick patrol.

And in one hour he collected four bags of trash near the Asda roundabout.

Ally Middleton, of Balnakyle Road, Lochardil, hopes that his actions might shame litter droppers into being more considerate, but he is not convinced of success.

He said: "I received a few thumbs-up from passers-by, but also some looks that said 'Whats that silly old guy up to?'

"I am going to do one hour a day for the next four days. It cannot all be blamed on schoolkids dropping their lunch wrappers as they head back from Asda to Inverness Royal Academy, but there is an element of that.

"People using the drive-thrus for coffees and takeaways often use the distributor road and throw their wrappers out their car windows, and with the prevailing wind from the south west, a lot of litter gets trapped in the burn at the Asda roundabout.

"If it gets in the burn then eventually it is going to end up in the sea, and it is already polluted enough.

"Round the Gaelic School at Castle Heather Park, also gets a lot of litter blown in or dropped on the path."

Included in the haul was a bag of household rubbish that he thought had been fly-tipped in the gully.

Ally added: "I would rather be at home with my wife Annette and wee Border terrier Bonnie, but I thought I would take some action."

Public-spirited Ally is already well known in Lochardil for his "20s Plenty" campaigning to keep traffic speed down.

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