A raging local was disgusted to come across a mattress floating in the Water of Leith while out on a stroll.
Edinburgh locals have spoken out about fly tipping with residents spotting items such as furniture and rubbish piled up on the pavements - and now in the river.
On Tuesday February 21, the Leith resident spotted the mattress on the corner of the bridge by Hemingway's and shared the sight online.
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Posting the picture of the stained mattress, he said: "Come on guys, we can be better than this."
This comes as volunteers of the Water of Leith Conservation Trust all chip in regularly to clean up the river and the banks. On Febuary 19, the charity cleaned up the river at Saughton and Longstone. They shared that they found 'lots of the usual suspects' in terms of rubbish, including cans, wet wipes, bottles, sanitary products and historical waste.
Cllr Scott Arthur Environment Convener said: “It’s illegal and not acceptable for anyone to dump their waste into the Water of Leith in this way. As is often the case the Council is not responsible for where this item has been dumped and this kind of activity will put more pressure on the excellent work of the volunteers who try to keep this area clean.
“If you have larger items you want to dispose of safely please make an appointment at one of our Household Waste Recycling Centres or if that isn’t possible you can use our special uplift service.”
Speaking last month, Johnathan Wells, 45, a ranger who works with the Leith Conservation Trust, told Edinburgh Live about the amazing work that is carried out by volunteers all year round and said: “It’s mostly volunteers who carry out regular maintenance on it whether that be cutting back vegetation, sweeping leaves, emptying drainage channels and picking up litter.
“They carry out around 7000 hours a year and we do that with a mixture of our own volunteers, community groups, youth groups and corporate groups. It’s my job to get people outside and make a difference to their community.”
The City of Edinburgh Council states fly tipping as dumping anything on public land. It can be anything from a bin bag next to a bin to a mattress or garden waste on the street or in a park - and is illegal.
The council can also issue fixed penalty notices of £200 for fly tipping. Courts can impose a penalty of up to £40,000 or imprisonment.
You can report fly tipping on edinburgh.gov.uk
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