Huge piles of rubbish led to talk of rats and cats

A STRIKE by Glasgow dustcart drivers in February 1975 led to emergency refuse tips, such as this one, in Crawford Street, Partick.

Tons of rubbish had been dumped there by local people, and while the strike continued two cleansing department employees stood guard at the site from 8am until 10pm.

“We just make sure no-one dumps any more rubbish as the dump is now full,” one of the employees said. “We’ve also got to make sure no kids start playing in it.”

The fear that vermin might be attracted by the piles of rubbish had led some local shopkeepers to leave cats in their premises overnight.

“It’s the only way to make sure no rats get into my premises”, said Robert Duffus, owner of the West End Dairy, the oldest established business in Partick. “The rear of my shop looks onto the waste ground where all those tons of rubbish are being tipped.

“I know they’ve got to dump it somewhere, but why so near to houses and shops? It’s just not hygienic. I’m not really meant to leave an animal in the shop overnight, but surely it’s better than having rats roaming around,” he added.

“You wait,” added another trader. “When that dump is cleared there’s bound to be a rats’ nest underneath.”