Glasgow residents have been left fuming amid claims those attending COP26 have littered local streets with rubbish including discarded covid lateral flow tests.
Readers reached out to Glasgow Live on Tuesday evening to share photos of the scene on the streets surrounding the COP26 campus at the SEC, with litter appearing to have been strewn across Finnieston Street and on the Clyde Arc.
Pictures show a number of items, including the covid tests, with a negative test result required for entry each day to the global climate summit.
Those attending the conference have complained of long queues for the lateral flow tests at the start of the day.
On Tuesday evening, a heavy police presence was in the area on in response to an Extinction Rebellion protest which made its way from the city centre to the boundary of the COP26 conference area.
Reports of the littering comes during a bin collection and street cleaner strike in the city. Members of the city's cleansing service took the decision to strike for a week from a minute past midnight on Monday.
Karen, who lives by the Clyde Arc, told Glasgow Live: "The photos were taken on my way from to the Arc to Argyle Street. The pictures of waste on the ledges are of the flats opposite the entrances. It's a disgrace!
"There's lateral flow tests and the packaging they come in. People reportedly been complaining it took too long to get into the conference this morning (Tuesday) as they didn't all have tests to show, so they were clearly doing them prior to entry.
"This should be highlighted! Improving environmental issues start with the individual, and leaving this isn't so eco friendly!"
Another reader who is working at the summit and wished to remain anonymous said: "Take a walk up Finnieston Street and see the amount of litter and used lateral flow tests and swabs discarded outside the security entrance of COP26. It's worse tonight than it was in the morning.
"COP26 delegates are wanting to save the planet by littering Glasgow and it ending up in the Clyde.
"It's a bit disgusting stepping over it all to get to work."
Glasgow Live have contacted the UK Government, responsible for organising the COP26 summit.
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Everybody knows that littering is unacceptable – wherever it happens and whatever is being discarded. There is no excuse not to wait to use a bin.”
For all the latest on COP26 and how it's affecting Glasgow, follow our live blog here.
