THE fly tipping and the rubbish strewn across back courts in Govanhill is an unnecessary and unacceptable state of affairs.

The scale of the problem is a serious environmental health hazard and one which could easily be avoided if those responsible follow the same simple practices as their neighbours.

The majority of people in the area act responsibly and follow the correct procedures for putting out rubbish and disposing of bulk items, but a significant minority, as the number of warnings and fines shows, are acting with total disregard to public safety

The provision of cleansing services and environmental facilities in the area is the same as the rest of the city which does not suffer the same level of rubbish in the streets as some parts of Govanhill.

The responsible majority in the area have had to contend with this problem for far too long and quite rightly are expressing their anger.

There are clearly housing issues - with serious overcrowding leading to other problems, which require attention - that Govanhill suffers where other areas do not.

However, the problem could be lessened significantly if the people discarding rubbish and unwanted goods started acting like responsible citizens.