An amateur football club in Bridge of Don has hit out at fly-tippers who are making the area a “tip” and an “eyesore”.
Raymond Morrison, an official at Nicolls Amateurs, is pleading for Aberdeen City Council to install CCTV cameras facing Denmore Park after years of mess.
The Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association Premier Division side shares the ground with Junior side Hall Russell United.
The Press and Journal visited the council-owned land outside the ground, and one of the first things our reporter witnessed was scattered debris.
Lying next to it is a dumped yellow trade waste bag; plastic rubbish and cans litter the car park.
Mr Morrison, who is in charge of the ground’s maintenance, claims it was dumped a few days prior and believes it is the work of a lone tradesman.
‘From the aesthetic side of things, it’s just unbelievable’
He says the mess is an unsightly welcome for visiting teams and fans who are greeted by discarded tyres and bricks.
He said: “From the aesthetic side of things, it’s just unbelievable.
“Can you imagine, you’ve got people coming to visit your ground, and they’re coming into an eyesore?
“It’s a tip they’re coming into, unfortunately.”
The Nicolls Amateurs staff member also believes the latest fly-tipping is a “potential health hazard”.
He fears the dumped materials may be riddled with asbestos and could be touched by local kids.
He claims he has reported the issue to the council, but nothing has been done.
Instead, he is now hoping the local authority or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will install CCTV to help catch and deter the fly-tippers.
It comes after The P&J revealed there have been 1,411 incidents of illegal rubbish dumping recorded in Aberdeen since 2021 – yet not one fine was handed out.
Fly-tipping: ‘Services that sound too good to be true often are’
A spokeswoman for environment agency SEPA said: “Fly-tipping is not only unsightly but, depending on the nature of the waste, it can also be hazardous to health and cause environmental damage.
“Individuals and businesses getting rid of waste should not engage the services of people who are not authorised.
“Services that sound too good to be true often are and could lead to your waste being illegally fly-tipped or disposed of by other illegitimate means.
“Customers should ask for evidence the provider is a registered waste carrier, check their waste will be disposed of at a licensed site and require proof of disposal in the form of a legitimate waste transfer note.
“Failing to make these checks is a breach of legislation which leaves customers and the waste producers also exposed to enforcement action.
“We would encourage anyone that witnesses any fly-tipping incidents to report it immediately to their local authority.”
Aberdeen City Council has been contacted for comment.
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