Mayor Joe Anderson has said that some people in Liverpool “lack pride” when speaking in relation to the rising issue of cleanliness in the city.
The Mayor of Liverpool then went on to say that he believes Liverpool is one of the worst areas in the UK for residents not caring about the state of the city.
The comments came after Anderson visited areas of the city which are currently suffering from rat infestations amongst other environmental complaints.
Anderson has said that work is currently underway to tackle structural issues that allow rats to nest however he said that the most detrimental factor is a lack of pride from residents.
Liverpool’s mayor released a statement today saying “I went to the County area yesterday to talk to residents about the issues.
“We are giving wheelie bins to those who want them, which they can put their rubbish bags in if they take them out before collection.But the biggest problem is that people are not being responsible. I think people don’t care.
“I have lived in a terrace house all my life and we have always taken responsibility for our area.We need a culture of pride – I think our city has become complacent.”
“I would say that arguably our city is the worst for people not caring about their environment. I travel to other core cities and while their litter problems are bad – I don’t think they are as bad. I think we have a don’t care attitude in this city – if some people have rubbish, they just throw it.”
“This isn’t to do with austerity, we can’t blame a lack of staff because our street cleaning teams are as good as any – this comes down to a lack of civic pride.”
Anderson has committed to spending £1.5 Million to address issues with rats across the city however the comments today suggest that this money will be wasted in people within the city do not take more “pride” in their surroundings.