Plea to 'respect the countryside' after a beauty spots found covered in litter

The public are being asked to "respect the countryside" after a farmer found a local beauty spot covered in rubbish in the Scottish Borders.

Scott Brown took a video, near Innerleithen Golf Club, and posted it to social media urging people who are enjoying the countryside to clean up after themselves.

He says he's worried this incident may only be the beginning: "I am quite concerned, with the current situation we're all in with the Covid pandemic, most people are going to be having a staycation this summer.

"I think if this is the thin end of the wedge, I'm very concerned about how things might go for the rest of the summer.

"So, I'd like to drive a message home to people. We want you to come to the countryside, we want you to enjoy it. It's an amazing place to live and it's an amazing place to work. But above all, please leave it the way you found it."

Over the last few weeks numerous pictures and videos have appeared on social media, with people pleading for whoever is responsible for the mess in their parks and green spaces to clean up after themselves.

It's encouraged some take a proactive approach. Armed with a bag and a litter picker, Peeblesshire resident Jeremy Stuart-Menteth has decided to clean up the mess others have left behind.

He said: "I can say that some parts of Peebles is a complete disgrace. But it's perfectly curable litter. It's down to each individual. Simply pick it up and put it in a local bin."

Scottish Borders council and the police have also urged against fly-tipping with a rise in incidents since lockdown began.

From today (10 June), community recycling centres will be accepting larger items of waste such as mattresses, garden furniture and wood which the local authority hope will help.

For now the public are being asked to act responsibly when exploring the countryside, in order to help protect the local environment and wildlife, and to prevent countryside landscapes from being ruined.