A STAINED mattress, bath and a toilet pan are among piles of rubbish illegally ditched in a pub beer garden.
Bosses say they have been left footing the cleaning bill after mountains of black bags and furniture were fly-tipped behind the Kingsknowe bar in Edinburgh.
The pub has slammed fly-tippers[/caption]
A bathroom cabinet and heated towel rail can also be seen lying alongside cardboard boxes and debris.
Owners say they have been forced to install security cameras after a surge in dumping.
They said: “In recent weeks there has been a significant increase in fly-tipping at the rear of the pub.
“Not only is this totally unacceptable it also incurs unneeded costs on the pub to have it removed.
“Please be aware that CCTV has been installed to cover the back area of the pub and anyone caught dumping rubbish on the premises will be reported.
“CCTV images and vehicle registrations will be passed on to the relevant authorities.”
The busy boozer in the capital’s Kingsknowe was recently refurbished.
Staff host regular charity fundraisers — including a summer ‘community fun day’ which last year brought in cash for MND Scotland and included a barbecue, bouncy castle and ice cream van.
Fly-tippers face fines of up to £40,000 and five years in prison.
The City of Edinburgh Council received nearly 62,000 reports of waste being dumped between April 2019 and September 2024.
Scottish Conservatives MSP for Lothian Miles Briggs fears the state of streets across the country is declining.
He said: “The failure to keep our communities clean is not just unsightly but also a serious health hazard.”
The Scottish Government increased the minimum penalty for fly-tipping from £200 to £500 at the start of last year in a bid to tackle the problem.
A spokesman said: “We know litter and fly-tipping are important issues for local people and communities.
“That is why we have increased the fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping and will introduce a new civil penalty for littering from vehicles in due course.”
The pub has released images of the rubbish[/caption]
