Car park left as a dumping ground

Mounds of rubbish have reportedly attracted vermin following the departure of a group of Travellers who pitched up at the old Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC).

Multiple caravans and cars appeared in a disused car park at Exhibition Avenue in Bridge of Don on August 2.

And despite Aberdeen City Council ordering the group to move on just a day later, mounds of old food containers, plastic bags and fly-tipped building materials have been left.

Photos taken at the area on Monday show wooden palettes among the rubble, as well as fire extinguishers, glass bottle and multiple dog waste bags.

As a result, residents in the Bridge of Don area have since described seeing “plenty of very big rats”.

The mounds of rubbish have been dumped both in car park four and behind a fenced off area near the exhibition centre – which is due to be cleaned up by the end of the week.

Bridge of Don councillor John Reynolds hopes plans for three temporary sites for travellers in the city will help solve the issue.

He said: “Every summer we have an influx of Travellers coming to Aberdeen to do casual work on residential properties.

Some stick to the rules and sadly some don’t and leave a mess behind. The council provide waste bins to try to reduce litter just being dumped.

“There are plans for three temporary stopping sites in the city, which will form part of future housing developments.

“If residents are happy to give work to Travellers, then we will continue to have the sort of problems highlighted.”

SNP Bridge of Don councillor Alison Alphonse added: “There are contractors working at the site and they are going to do a thorough clean.”

Also speaking of the mess at the old AECC site, an Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “Contractors on behalf of ACC are clearing up the site and it is anticipated the work will be finished by the end of this week.”

We reported back in April that antisocial behaviour was plaguing residents in the area.

Neighbours living around King Robert’s Way and Morrison’s Croft Crescent were disturbed on many occasions by noise at the old exhibition centre, which closed in 2019, and Holiday Inn Express, which closed last year.

They heard cars racing around at speed blaring their horns, loud music and rubbish being left.

DISGRACE: Rubbish is strewn around the car park site.