Supermarket bosses have been accused of "disrespecting" an Edinburgh community for failing to fix a collapsing fence, nearly three months after it was first reported.
City councillor Ross McKenzie said Sainsbury's Murrayfield was ignoring its responsibility to keep the area around the superstore tidy.
Disputing claims the broken fence on Westfield Street did not belong to the store, he said title deeds showed this was not the case - and called on managers and maintenance staff to "get their act together".
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Sainsbury's said the fence was 'not on their property' and that they were in discussion with the council about a repair.
Councillor McKenzie, who represents Sighthill/Gorgie as an independent after resigning the Labour group in February, was also critical of the store's branding, saying the branch was "clearly in Gorgie".
He added: "You have to wonder if they would leave their land in that state if it actually was in Murrayfield."
His intervention comes almost three months after the issue was flagged by constituents.
"The council estates team advised that the fence belongs to Sainsbury’s so I’ve been trying to get them to fix it," he explained.
"Sainsbury’s don’t share contact details publicly, so it was difficult to get in touch with them in the first place. A former employee gave me the store manager’s email and he was really helpful – really keen to get the fence fixed - but as soon as the case moved above him they started being difficult.
"They denied that they own the fence so I bought the title deeds and sent them the evidence that they do own it.
"Then they stopped replying to my emails."
Cllr McKenzie said in the meantime the fence continues to call into disrepair and "the land around it is in a right state as well".
He added: "I think it’s just disrespectful to the area.
"Sainsbury’s has a huge piece of land in Gorgie and is a company that makes massive profits – the least they can do is keep their land in decent condition for people who live next to it.
"They brand the store ‘Sainsbury’s Murrayfield’ even though it’s clearly in Gorgie. You have to wonder if they would leave their land in that state if it actually was in Murrayfield.
"They’re disrespecting Gorgie and they need to get their act together."
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said the fence became damaged after being struck by a vehicle but it was understood not to be on the store's property.
However they added discussions were ongoing with Edinburgh Council and their landlord to find a solution.
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