Re: Litter

21 July 2006

Re: Litter

Richard Millar, Service and Business Development Manager, British Waterways Scotland , said: "The Falkirk Wheel is a jewel in Falkirk 's tourism crown and the canal network as a whole has the potential to bring even more visitors to the area.

"From a canal perspective there is no doubt that litter not only affects the appearance of the canal but can also be damaging to wildlife.

"We do understand the concerns locals have and we will shortly be installing a number of new litter bins along the Lowland Canal towpaths.

"However, it should be stressed that litter is not just confined to the canals, it is an ongoing problem which affects urban and rural communities across Scotland .

"The team at British Waterways works closely with local councils throughout the year to tackle this issue, but it is difficult to keep on top of this perennial problem.

"British Waterways' bank staff work hard to clear rubbish from the water and towpaths on a regular basis, and empty all dog litter bins twice a week, however, we firmly believe that prevention is better than cure and as such we would urge all visitors to the waterways to dispose of their litter in a responsible manner."

Ends

Issued on behalf of British Waterways by Wave PR. Contact Chris Bell or Alison Jack on 0141 303 8390.