CAMPAIGNERS fighting for improvements in Glasgow's south side have described parts of Govanhill as a "ghetto".

They took officials from the council on a "tour" of the area on Tuesday to show them the "filth and squalor" and called on the leader of the local authority Gordon Matheson to intervene.

The 'Let's Save Govanhill' group have previously met with local MSP and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as part of a campaign.

The group uploaded photographs taken during Tuesday's tour to Facebook, which provoked a strong reaction from residents.

Organiser and Co-Chair of Let's Save Govanhill, Liz Armour, demanded "serious intervention into the ghetto Govanhill has now become".

She said: "Yet again the images of Nicola Sturgeon's constituency have shocked many people. Others have said this is nothing new.

"The sad thing is children live in this filth and they see the squalor everyday surrounding them.

"Despite council officials viewing it firsthand on their tour we are not holding our breaths waiting for some serious action from them, instead we will continue holding our noses at the stink that Govanhill is now creating for Glasgow."

The group met Glasgow Southside MSP Nicola Sturgeon on May 24 and said they have yet to receive a response to their demands.

Campaign Secretary Fiona Jordan said: "We told Nicola Sturgeon we need a czar for Govanhill - one person to take the reins and drive home the changes."

Co- Chair of the campaign Frances Stojilkovic added: "How many times do we need to tell Nicola Sturgeon that we refuse to live in these conditions? Nobody else in Glasgow or the rest of Scotland has to put up with it, why should we?"

Former councillor for the area Anne Marie Miller, who runs a community centre in Govanhill, also called for political intervention.

She said: "This walk about with council officials wasn't intended to point the finger at cleansing services and blame them, but for us to see and record for ourselves what cleansing has to deal with on a daily basis and to look for action from Glasgow City Council to enable cleansing services to get on top of this uphill task that residents live with on a daily basis.

"We want Councillor Matheson and our local MSP Nicola Sturgeon to meet with the community to have a full and frank discussion on the issues of concern to residents in the area because both hold the powers to change the conditions in Govanhill."

A spokeswoman for Nicola Sturgeon said the council is responsible for cleansing and environmental health.

She added: "As the local MSP, Nicola has been very active in raising constituents' concerns about these services in Govanhill.

"Nicola has met with the group to discuss the measures being taken by the council and the Scottish Government to tackle the overcrowding, poor housing and environmental problems in Govanhill.

"She is in the process of arranging meetings between the group and the council, the police and Govanhill Housing Association so that the group can be briefed in detail on the action that is being taken, and so that they can provide feedback to officers."

A spokesman for the council said they will "act on information" from the campaign group "immediately".

He added: "We fully understand the frustrations of residents who find waste disposed of in inappropriate ways and we will do everything possible to identify those who are responsible.

"If residents do identify problems in the area we would urge them to contact the Govanhill Hub on 0141 424 5909 and we will take the necessary action."