A COUNCILLOR says Bradford needs a “revolution in disgust” to shame residents into stopping dumping litter.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) spoke at the most recent meeting of Bradford Council last week – expressing her anger at people who think others should clean up their litter after them.

She said out that louts across the district were dumping litter and expecting others to clean after them – taking millions out of the pockets of taxpayers to pay for litter pickers.

The issue came up during a debate about anti-social behaviour at Ilkley Lido, when Conservative Councillors urged Bradford Council to invest in more litter pickers at Ilkley Riverside.

The area is popular with visitors over the Summer, many of whom leave behind their litter – which has this summer included soiled nappies and drug paraphernalia.

Cllr Sunderland said she visited the riverside one warm day this Summer, adding: “When I went there I thought there had been an accident. I had never seen so much s h * t left behind by people. It was a disgrace.

“It went from astonishment, to not believing the sight I saw to anger. How could people behave so badly in our District?

“I am so angry people think they can behave like that. They think they can leave their trash for someone else to sort out.

“It happens across the District. How have we arrived at a position where people think it is ok to disrespect other people like this? They think its ok to leave a football pitch on a Sunday morning and leave their rubbish behind for other people to pick up.

“Council Tax payers are paying to clean this rubbish up. It is coming out of the pockets of people who are already struggling.

“People need to make that connection. The people littering are adding to their tax bills. They are paying because some people struggle to clean up after themselves.

“Council Tax isn’t a service charge for people to come and clean up after you.

“We are having to spend more and more money on litter pickers while we have people in the District who have to go without.

“We are paying millions to have to clean up after people in the District.

“We need a revolution of disgust. We need people to be disgusted by people who drop litter. We need to stop thinking that it is someone else’s problem to clean up.”