On the road again

SHETLAND’S litter louts have brought marathon bruck gatherer Cecilia James out on the road again to clean up the Lang Kames for the second time in 12 months.

Last September the retired teacher embarked on the mammoth task of single-handedly cleaning up the roadside verges along the 18 mile long stretch of the A970 between Voe and Lerwick.

By November she had gathered over one and a half tonnes of rubbish, including countless car parts, food packages, almost 5,000 drink cans and even more plastic bottles.

She has been recognised for her litter picking efforts, winning a Shetland Environmental Award and a Golden Litter Picker Award as well as coming in as runner-up Civic Champion in the Civic Trust My Place Awards.

However a disappointed James has now noticed that despite all the publicity her efforts generated, islanders have not changed their habits and continue throwing litter out of their cars.

“Da Lang Kames was one of the worst sections of road I cleared last year and it is very disappointing that the level of bruck seems to be rising again,” she said.

“I hope that highlighting the volume of bruck which has gathered in the six months since I finished my litter pick will encourage road users to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

“They may think it’s only one can or bottle they are throwing out the window, but it soon builds up.

“This litter is not only unsightly, it is a potential hazard to our wildlife and can block our drains and ditches, therefore please think before you wind down the window.”