A REGULAR visitor to Montrose's award winning beach has criticised Angus Council for not doing enough to keep it clean after having to negotiate a minefield of dog poo during a recent trip.
Ona Ramsay, who lives between Fettercairn and Luthermuir, is originally from the west coast but likes to take visiting family and friends to Montrose's Blue Flag beach.
However, the self-employed consultant has become increasing frustrated wit
h the condition of the beach above the high tide mark, which she claims is being neglected by the council.
She said: "It's a beautiful beach and I like to take people down there when they visit.
"We went down last Sunday, but when we were there there must have been four separate dog poos next to the path. There were another three or four just next to that.
"Then, four different sets of people came on to the beach with dogs, let them do their business, but did not clean it up. It was dreadful."
Mrs Ramsay immediately lodged a complaint with the council, but was astonished by the responses she received.
She said: "I heard from an inspector in waste management and he said he was going to look at it, but he said he checked the beach once a fortnight, twice in the summer, but not weekends.
"Nobody works weekends. Not the inspector, not the dog warden. They work 9am-5pm Monday-Friday."
"I said that if this was private industry, you'd work when it is required. I was told, 'don't push it too much, I don't want to work weekends.'
"From a resident's point of view it looks as though this very beautiful beach is an afterthought for the council."
The Blue Flag was awarded to Montrose beach for the fifth consecutive year this year, which is an international reward scheme acting as a guarantee to tourists that the beach they are visiting has excellent water quality, provides good facilities, environmental education activities, and high levels of cleanliness
Only seven beaches throughout Scotland are flying the flag this year.
Angus Council said that it was not aware of the problem previously but will take action to ensure the area is checked at the weekends.
A spokesperson said: "The council has taken action to clear up a footpath beside the ramp that was quite badly dog-fouled. We do have a team at the beach-front and Splash area on a Saturday and Sunday to empty litter bins and pick up litter.
"Now we're aware of the problem we will check the offending footpath at weekends."
