Outrage at urine bottles dumped at Inver River

Gavin Ferguson last contacted the local authority in May to highlight the ongoing problem, which he says has turned the local waterway into a “dirty backwater.”

Despite the council vowing at that time that the route would be “monitored regularly”, Gavin says he counted over 20 urine-filled bottles along the river’s banks opposite the Old Bleach Green on a recent walk.

“The Inver River is like a dirty backwater,” he told the Times.

“It is a small river but it’s the worst I have ever seen in terms of pollution and the way it is not monitored.

“Some bottles of urine have been lying there for years, they aren’t visible in summer as they are covered by plants but now they are dying back and the bottles are exposed.

“I have also seen new trolleys in the river, and any waste dumped there washes into the lough. The council needs to implement regular cleaning patrols. It’s about taking pride and care of the town we live in.”

A council spokesperson said patrols are “regularly carried out along the Inver River” by staff from its Environmental Health Department, and that patrol routes could change as wardens reacted to priorities, compalints and requests.

“The clearing of litter or waste does not take place during patrols, but rather, information relating to the problem/ need for cleansing is referred to the relevant operational services (waste) within council for action,” she added.