Councils throughout Scotland are fighting a losing battle against the scourge of fly-tipping and it is costing them a fortune.
There is no excuse for messing up the countryside. It is unsightly and unhygienic and could, in some cases, be downright dangerous to people and wildlife.
I came across a couple of examples of this appalling practice in the countryside near my home in East Kilbride.
In one layby there was the remains of a fast food van. Why the owners could not have broken it up and taken it to the tip is beyond me.
Just yards down the road was some household waste which could also have gone into a municipal skip.
It beggars belief that people would drive out into the country to dump waste when facilities are provided for them.
I dealt with several cases like this when I was a councillor, from dumped chicken carcasses to old tyres.
The council can use covert methods to catch culprits but it is an uphill struggle.
The bottom line is that council tax payers are left to pick up the tab of clearing the mess and that’s not on.