The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Outrage as pile of fly-tipped rubbish blocks pavement
Acase of fly-tipping in a residential area of Oban over the bank holiday weekend has resulted in local outrage.
Piles of wooden crates, old deckchairs, a pram and other pieces of rubbish were left blocking the pavement.
The mess appeared at the junction between Miller Road and Quarry Road some time on Friday or Saturday.
It was still there yesterday afternoon.
Graffiti sprayed across a mattress and one of the crates has left locals baffled about the meaning of it.
The words “Ready or not? Banksy” are scrawled on the mattress. And what looks like “to collect” is written on a crate. Callum Cain was visiting his mother who lives nearby. He posted a picture of the rubbish on the Information Oban Facebook Group on Sunday night.
And simply asked the question: “What’s this about?”
By yesterday morning the post was deleted as so many people were making angry comments and arguing.
Councillor Luna Martin saw the post and reported the fly-tipping to Argyll and Bute Council.
Her colleague Jim Lynch of the Oban South and the Isles ward urged people to report such behaviour.
He said: “Whoever left that stuff lying there is very irresponsible. It’s dangerous. Kids play around there and they could easily fall on it. It is also blocking the pavement, which forces people on to the road.
“It has obviously taken quite a bit of time to leave it there.
“Fly-tipping is usually on wasteland.
“This is right next to the bins.
“When someone reports fly-tipping the council will take it away and try to find out who did it.
“The person, if traced, is charged £50.
“Anyone who plans to put something out can contact the council and arrange to have it uplifted. There is a charge, but it’s not a huge charge.
“Once reported the guys will usually come pick it up within four or five days.”
A concerned neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said the rubbish had been lying out since Friday or Saturday.
He added: “It almost looks like some sort of protest or something about rubbish uplift. As if they put it there on purpose and wrote a message on it? Or maybe someone saw the mess and decided to write an angry message on it?
“Either way, it is blocking the pavement. Prams and wheelchairs can’t get through, so the council should do something about it sooner rather than later.”