An Armagh man has hit out at the state of the litter-strewn streets in the city centre and captured the mess on video to back up his claims.
The irate resident – who did not wish to be named – branded the city “a dump”.
And it’s not necessarily the level of street cleaning to blame, he says, but the repeated failure of people to take their litter home or place it in a bin.
The video (below) was taken on Scotch Street on Friday, one of the main thoroughfares in the commercial centre of Armagh.
Along one side of the street can be seen crisp bags, cardboard drinks cartons and hot food containers blowing along the footpath and alongside the kerb. Other items are stuck to the pavements themselves.
The man said it does not present a good image of the city to visitors particularly with the summer season ahead.
He told Armagh I : “It’s a bit disheartening.
“I have been to a few countries in Europe and they are so proud of where they live and are pristine.
“I don’t know if more bins is the answer. It’s people’s attitudes perhaps.
“I watched three young guys and they just dropped their packets of crisps as they walked and sweet wrappers.
“I think somehow people need to realise this is not OK.
“At the end of the day I guess it’s not the council’s fault – people just drop their rubbish as they walk.
“The road verges in the countryside are also the same if you ever go for a walk.
“I guess I’d like to see people prosecuted but the scale would be unrealistic.
“It is just sad to see the place in general in such a state.”
He is not alone in his arguments as it is an issue which has been raised time and again with us.
On many occasions we have run articles about the level of litter along roadsides with drivers discarding rubbish as they pass by.
But it is clear from the video that a much more collective and community-minded approach is needed from the city centre out.
We share the view that throwing litter down on our city streets is simple laziness and selfish behaviour when you expect others to walk through your mess.
To those responsible we say, have some pride in your surroundings and do the right thing – deposit your rubbish properly for all of our sakes!
