Aberdeen City Council has rejected appeals for more dog waste bins in areas blighted by mess, asking residents to instead take their pets’ droppings home with them.
Correspondence seen by the Press and Journal shows that a tenants association recently asked for more bins to be put in place around their community.
But council chiefs replied saying that the authority “no longer installs additional dog bins anywhere in the city”.
Last night a spokesman for the authority said no new bins had been put up in recent years as the city had “more than any other local authority in Scotland”.
But he added that the situation would be “kept under review”.
It is understood there are around 800 bins for waste in Aberdeen.
In December, the supposed lack of receptacles was thrown into the spotlight in an unexpected manner when top Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges blasted the council for what he perceived to be a shortage.
He told his fans on social media that he had been forced to trudge through the city clutching a bag of mess for “longer than a man should ever carry one” when visiting for a performance.
Other social media users chimed in, saying that a lack of suitable receptacles had created messy streets.
Last month, 72-year-old Thomas Lawrie, who lives on Lerwick Road in Sheddocksley, called for more of the bins when he claimed the one behind his street was often left overflowing with waste bags.
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He said: “Children play in that area and football teams use it too.
“It can’t be safe if there is dog mess lying around.
“It’s surely an environmental health issue. It’s overflowing and it has been for three weeks.
“The council needs to do something about it because it’s not safe.”
The council responded by arguing that the bins in Sheddocksley were emptied “regularly”.
Last night a city council spokesman said: “Aberdeen has more dog waste bins than any other local authority in Scotland and litter bins can also be used to dispose of dog waste.
“Given this ample provision, we have not installed new dog waste bins in recent years.
“We do, however, review waste bin usage which allows us to relocate underused bins to areas of higher demand.
“We would ask dog owners to take responsibility; if there is not a bin nearby then they should carry the waste to the nearest bin or, ideally, take it home for disposal”.
