No Butts... We're Not Coming Back!, Canadian tourists shun Glasgow Options

[GG]

Two Canadian tourists have vowed never to return to Glasgow following their treatment at the hands of the city's litter enforcement officers. Mr and Mrs Turner from Ontario have decided to stop their regular visits to the city after Mrs Turner was issued an on-the-spot fine of £100 for dropping a cigarette end in a street already littered by cigarette butts.

Mr Turner was so incensed by the conduct of the officers (whom Mrs Turner mistakingly assumed were police officers) that he wrote a letter to the Evening Times complaining about the treatment of his wife.

In the letter, Mr Turner complained that his wife, instead of being given a warning, had been treated as if she had committed a serious crime. Mr Turner also complained that the actions of the officers had tarnished the image of the city after his wife had been forced to produce her passport and other identification in a busy street.

One subsequent Evening Times' reader expressed dismay at the treatment of Mrs Turner, complaining that the Clean Glasgow enforcement officers had made him "embarrassed to be a Glaswegian". The reader also complained that the litter enforcement officers "are building a poor reputation for picking on easy targets and not the more blatant litter louts, groups of neds, and drunks".

Glasgow City Council launched its £4m Clean Glasgow campaign in 2007. The programme was spearheaded by former council chief, Steven Purcell, who claimed at the time that the aim of the campaign was to make Glasgow "the cleanest city in the world". Despite some marginal improvements, a Keep Scotland Beautiful report published earlier this year found that Glasgow still ranked below the Scottish average for cleanliness.

GG.

[mlconnelly]

Typical. Give them a wee bit of authority and they think they're god. Its things like this that gets the rest of us a bad name. Mary

[**duinemor**]

These guys should ply their craft at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill. Always folk hanging about smoking - they seem oblivious to the signs prohibiting smoking on hospital grounds illustrated with pictures of kids with cancer. These smokers definitely deserve £100 fines.

[tarheels]

i believe that the enforcement officers overreacted , speaking for myself not knowing the laws of Scotland's towns , or even my own town where i live here in Ojai calif. i want to see my town clean , so when i see a violator , i either get there car lic,. number an report it to the local police dept. if caught they receive a warning , the next time they receive a ticket .my opinion, clarence

[norrie123]

Perhaps a warning would have been in order, seeing they were not from Glasgow
Mind you would they have thrown their butts away in there home town?
Bye for now, norrie

[wazzer]

That's exactly why some of us don't still live there!

If not we'd be in England, London.

Should be a follow up to get this couple their cash back, they most probably look'd like tourist, soft spot target, these guy's are obviously waster's in the otherwise decent and forgiving weegies society in our home land.

Will most likely lose the job in a few week's anyway and back on the dole and spliff's all day long laughing at wat they got up 2, with the one and only job they probably will ever have.

They know if they'd stopped any of the young team they wold get their head kicked in, and trying it on a weggie drunk would only make him wet himself and tell you where to shove it...lol.

Spineless coward probably not even local !!!!!

[JohnTRobertson]

Isn't capital punishment an option for litter bugs anymore?

[Crewsy Fixer]

Im not a litterer and frown upon littering, but I frown more on the Litter Police, its a shameful easy target for revenue gathering. I remember when the Evening Times published several pages of the names and addresses of people, who had been caught littering, under the headline of These Louts are Costing us 16 million ( the city's annual clean up bill).

[Plain Jane]

Here Goes - second attempt at answering - Just to say that we attended the Merchant City festival on Saturday and apart from having a brilliant day out, we were pleasantly surprised at the the absence of litter - we took it that it was all

due to good organisation, but maybe it was the work of the jobsworths who were handing out the £100 fines!

[wombat]

nae wunner ah dont live in the city, wie aw this crap fer drappin a cigarette butt ,dont smoke cigarettes anymerr,when ah've been in the city seen people on thir teabreak ootside offices shops etc in groups , where they used tae smoke wan relaxed ciggie in the T room on thir 10 minute brekk they now smoke two in 10 minutes, aw this is gettin outta hand
whits next "FART POLICE"? mel gibson get a life m8

[Plain Jane]

Oops sorry about that - must do better.

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GG: no problem, I've edited!

[Isobel]

I think a warning would have been fine in this case,however I have visited Glasgow many times and been blown away by the garbage. So it would be nice to see it cleaned up.If this ever happened the locals would have respect for their city and keep it clean.I love the idea I bet most Glaswegians want this also.

[rumcdonald]

I hate litter louts, but a warning would have been enough in this case. The enforcers don't understand COMMON SENSE.

[hubert]

Its one helluva addiction often fatal and imposed on innocent others often too.
The fine of 100 pounds is in order, you see the nicotine addicts rarely I have noticed consider those non smokers around them.
Just my opinion!

[**Eidas**]

I'm sure this woman will never toss another butt in the wrong place, a warning wouldn't have had the same impact!