FED-UP residents are calling for more to be done to keep a Barrhead park tidy.

Discarded bottles, crisp packets, food containers and even shopping trolleys are no unusual sight in Auchenback Community Park, according to Linda Williamson, who is concerned the situation is getting so bad it could attract vermin.

Linda, of Cheviot Avenue, said she first complained to East Renfrewshire Council over a year ago about litter in the area, also known as Burnbank, but has seen no improvement.

She added: “There are parts of Barrhead that are filthy and it shouldn’t be that way. Every day, I take my dog Buster to the park and I’m sick of seeing the mess there and in the streets.

“In areas like Newton Mearns, Giffnock and Clarkston, residents would not allow the council to ignore this.

“There’s a wee lady in her seventies who goes down to the park at 7am with her dog and walks around picking up all the rubbish and puts it in the bin because it’s being ignored by the council.

“There are broken bottles in that park. It’s dangerous not only to dogs but to children who like to play at the burn. It’s not safe and it puts you off staying here.”

Linda, 55, said she has spotted rodents in the area and is convinced the problem will only worsen when a new takeaway opens nearby.

The former hairdressers in Arthurlie Avenue has lain empty for years, with the council repeatedly refusing applications to turn it into a takeaway.

However, permission was finally granted last year – and Linda is worried it will add to the litter problem.

She said: “I live in an area with a lot of elderly and disabled people and some of my neighbours are getting drink bottles and food containers in their hedges and I think it’s extremely unfair that we’ve been ignored so someone can make a bit of money. It’s not like Barrhead is short of takeaways.”

However, a council spokesperson said: “Our teams empty the bins and pick up litter in this area every day and also visit the park at least twice a week to keep it clean and tidy.

“All areas in East Renfrewshire are suitably resourced to ensure the best possible levels of cleanliness are maintained, with specific areas known to be littering hotspots benefitting from additional resources.”