Fast food litter

Colin Maclean is correct about the dreadful amount of litter that adorns railway embankments and the need to clean it up (“Trains stain”, Letters, 11 April).

However, the problem is much more widespread.

I have recently been in touch with the councillors for my ward and with my MSP about the absolutely disgusting state of the A1 verges and those at the adjacent junctions and roads, such as the A6095.

The litter stems from two main sources: the customers of the many fast food takeaway outlets at Fort Kinnaird retail park in Edinburgh and polythene strips from badly covered skip and other lorries on the A1. Indeed, the whole length of the A1 from Berwick is badly polluted with all sorts of litter.

The result is that the approaches to Edinburgh, a World Heritage Site, are worse than many routes in what are called Third World countries. What a welcome to the city for tourists, visitors and local travellers. It is simply shameful and urgent cleaning up is long overdue.

The councillors and MSP have promised action for the short term but for the longer term we require education, actions and legislation to force outlets to reduce the pollution that their products cause.

DAVID K ALLAN Hopper Gardens, Edinburgh