A CONCERNED local has shared a video showing rubbish flowing into the Water of Leith between Gorgie Road and Ford’s Road.
The litter has accumulated behind the shops that back onto the river and is worryingly falling directly into the body of water.
This comes as reports of littering and fly tipping have become rampant in certain parts of Edinburgh, particularly in Granton where burning tyres and abandoned clinical waste have been seen.
Last month, a freedom of information request found that the City of Edinburgh Council has received more than 359,000 cleanliness complaints over the past five years, regarding overflowing bins, flytipping, graffiti and dog fouling.
A stunned local posted on social media yesterday, asking: “Are the businesses held accountable for the rubbish at the back of their shops?
“Noticed this at the section of the walk along the river between Fords Road and Gorgie Road.”
A picture shows cardboard boxes and other miscellaneous abandoned items discarded at the back of a shop and, shockingly, much of the rubbish looks to be falling down the grassy verge into the river.
An additional video shared shows a plastic bag caught in some branches in the stream, which flows past the rubbish.
It is unclear which buildings are shown in the post, but a large extractor fan on the side of one wall implies they are in commercial use.
The Water of Leith Conservation Trust has confirmed that litter on this section of the walk was reported to the City of Edinburgh Council’s enforcement team at the end of January.
The trust includes a large group of volunteers who are dedicated to litter-picking, repainting railings and walkway maintenance.
The City of Edinburgh Council have confirmed that it is the shops responsibility to remove their rubbish and that this issue is with the enforcement team who will contact the shop owners.
