Homeless people blamed for causing litter issues

One woman believes that much of Bath’s litter problems stem from homeless people leaving duvets, rubbish and worse in shop doorways - and she thinks she has a solution.

Roberta Rogers said Bath was once a ‘beautiful’ city but that it was no longer the case. She said much of the problem was down to homeless people littering shop doorways with “duvets, empty sandwich packets, coffee cups, cigarettes... and worse”.

Her letter reads: “Re your article on the litter and rubbish strewn across the once beautiful city of Bath, it is glaringly obvious how the city has declined.

“This is in no way the fault of the cleansing department, as they do an excellent job, all hours of the day endeavouring to the keep the streets litter free and crucially...clean.

“In an ideal world, there should be no litter, there are ample bins to dispose of litter and crucially we are all responsible and should take our litter home if we find it difficult to find a bin.

“Much of the problem is shop doorways being littered with duvets, empty sandwich packets, coffee cups, cigarettes and...worse.

“Is it fair for our shop assistants, who do such an important job of keeping our city vibrant, to have to come into work each morning to be faced with the clutter and the remnants of those who leave the streets in this state?

“Not to mention the aroma of a public convenience. This isn’t fair that anyone should be faced with this if they are not the culprits. “The solution is obvious... rather than sit on the streets, or invariably sleeping, why don’t the homeless lead more healthy lifestyle and in doing so benefit the town they reside in, by helping us to keep Bath a town to be proud in which to live.

“I do this irrespective of the fact that I have a hard working life, but I can always spare time to keep my town tidy.

“How much healthier those who choose not to benefit their town would be if they take exercise by mowing the overgrowing verges, cutting grass and picking up litter.”