Sheila-May and Mike Griffin have taken to litter picking while on their daily walks.
And since the start of February they have collected dozens of bags of rubbish from the verges, including face masks, plastic gloves, alcohol bottles and cans and food packaging.
The pair generally cover the stretch between Rigg and the bypass entrance and are keen to see others follow their lead in the Springfield and Gretna area, even offering to lend out litter picking gloves, vests and bags.
Sheila said: “It’s just such a blinking mess, it’s just awful.
“We walk the loop to Gretna and up the back road and it gets really bad there so we started picking it up. We do the main roadsides of the B721.
“We have so far collected more than 30 big black liners full. The majority is cans of cider and lager, bottles of wine, vodka and whisky, chip papers, energy drinks, face masks and gloves.”
The couple are out three or four times a week to keep on top of the situation and have been given litter picking equipment from Dumfries and Galloway Council, who also uplift the full bags.
Sheila said: “It’s always the same bit, near the bypass, which is the worst.
“Folk are firing it out of car windows. It’s just a mentality, they are not going to change.
“On one occasion we found 24 cans of cider. There’s always loads of takeaway rubbish and a lot of alcohol. It’s all there, some of it has been there for years.
“It has got worse during lockdown.”
She admits to enjoying the task, joking: “It gets us out. I never thought I would be happy doing litter picking!
“When we drive now from Rigg to Gretna I can see every bit of rubbish on the road.
“People we meet tell us they notice what we have done and it’s much better now.”
But she added: “I wish we had litter picking cameras, hide them in the trees. You would make more money out of it than the speed cameras.
“Or, it’s a job that really should be done by community service.”
