A COUNCIL whistleblower has hit out at “disgusting” and “disgraceful” disrespect to the dead, as fly-tipping continue to plague Glasgow graveyards.
Our sister title The Evening Times took a trip to St Kentigern’s Cemetery in Lambhill last week to revisit old business.
It was understood the continued blight of fly-tipping in Glasgow cemeteries was finally in hand, however, a Glasgow City Council whistleblower who wishes to remain anonymous informed the newspaper that this was not the case.
In 2018, the council had already attempted to clear the cemetery of hundreds of tyres, abandoned items of furniture and kitchen appliances and wooden pallets in January last year, but this did not deter the tippers.
READ MORE: Council under fire for fly tipping rubbish collected from a litter pick
In March 2018, Glasgow City Council installed bollards to stop careless fly-tippers in St. Kentigern's Cemetery.
Yet now, over a year on, debris can still be found all over the back of the cemetery mere metres away from graves where bereaved families have buried their loved ones.
"It is absolutely disgusting, and shameless of the Council that they have not removed all of the mess" said our whistleblower, who works within the Council's park maintenance team.
"People have buried their loved ones there. It's meant to be a place of respect. I think it just shows a disgusting disrespect of the dead.
"The people dumping there are not people, they are scum. It's bad enough on streets but in a cemetery - that's just disgraceful."
At the back of the cemetery as our pictures indicate, there are a number of tyres, as well metal insulation now covered in moss, deck chairs, two shopping trollies, a wheelbarrow, a large white kitchen appliance, two couches and numerous wooden pallets.
One of the abandoned mattresses has lain for so long that the natural landscape has started growing around it. Abandoned bottles of Buckfast and cider could suggest that people gather in the potentially dangerous and hazardous area to drink.
Paul Sweeney, who is standing as Labour candidate for Maryhill and Springburn, is personally affected by fly-tipping in the cemetery.
He said: "My own grandparents are buried in St. Kentigern's so it is upsetting to think that a place of respect and remembrance is being repeatedly desecrated in this way by disrespectful flytippers.
"The maintenance of Glasgow's cemeteries has borne the brunt of severe cuts to council budgets and jobs over the last decade.
"Glasgow has had seven times worse cuts than Scotland as a whole."
Bob Dorris MSP has urged the council to carry out a new review into fly-tipping at St. Kentigern's.
READ MORE: Livingstone is fly-tipping hotspot
He said: "This fly-tipping is the fault of thoughtless and cynical individuals and it has been a constant problem in the last few years. However the Council must do all they can to ensure the cemetery is safe as well as a clean, respectful, appropriate environment for grieving relatives to pay their respect to loved ones.
"The last time I made representations to Glasgow City Council they agreed to install bollards and tidy up the cemetery but clearly more needs to be done. I have contacted them once more asking for a review to be carried out.
"This should include regular monitoring and clearing of cemeteries as required but also gathering information to deter dumpers and to drive enforcement."
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: "These are very regrettable scenes and we are sorry if they have upset anyone who visited either cemetery.
“It is appalling that anyone ever thought it okay to fly-tip waste in a place of remembrance.
"Those responsible for fly-tipping inside a cemetery deserve the public's contempt.
"Thankfully, recent measures to restrict access have had a positive impact and we are not aware of any new taking fly-tipping incidents at these cemeteries.
"Unfortunately, the locations where these older incidents of fly-tipping have taken place are difficult for vehicles to access and also present a safety hazard to staff working on foot.
"We will look again to see if these items can be removed safely and we will double check the site for any information that helps to identify the culprits."
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