Edinburgh public slams council over its 'do it for the tourists - but not the residents' litter crackdown

Politicians have come under fire for announcing more street cleaners will be drafted in to the Capital - only to deal with Festival litter.

Rubbish piling up in Princes Street Gardens last summer. Picture: TSPL

Forty additional staff will join the existing team of 37 city centre street cleaners next month, in an attempt to keep on top of Edinburgh's well-publicised summer litter problem.

But while the move to rid the city centre of litter was welcomed, Evening News readers blasted the city council for doing it 'for the festival, but not the residents'.

One reader took to Facebook to say: "I've been saying this for years. The council don't care about your average Edinburgh resident. They care about tourists, students and those of the upper class."

Another posted: "The whole of the city should be cleaned not just those areas that tourists frequent.The streets of Leith are a disgrace and that is before the festival starts."

Last summer, the city council came under much criticism for the state of Edinburgh's streets, with overflowing bins and dumped rubbish described as an embarrassment to the Capital.

The latest move will see crews provide a 24/7 service, to clear litter, empty bins and uplift fly-tipping.

Yet readers were less than impressed.

"Do it for the festival, but not the residents. Good one " one reader posted on social media.

Another wrote: "Why only for August? Over the past few weeks I've noticed so many places in the city centre which are squalid, rubbish-strewn messes. If I can see that, why can't the council?"