A local church that is providing food parcels to those in need says it feels "disheartened" after being targeted by fly-tippers. Glasgow's Pollok Baptist Church has been serving about 80 families in need during the coronavirus pandemic, but their operations have been hampered due to the dumped rubbish blocking access routes into the foodbank facility.
The church's minister, Rev Dave Murray, said he was deeply disappointed with those responsible for the dumping.
"It's really disheartening," he told the Glasgow Times. "We are trying our best to do this work and this puts us back because the path is now blocked to get the deliveries out."
The church's work, Murray said, was absolutely essential, as they are the only church-run foodbank currently operating in the local area.
"Of the six or seven churches in the area, I believe we are the only ones who are doing something like this at the moment, and so when something like this happens it's difficult," he explained.
He added that he believes the fly-tippers were not likely to be members of the local community.
"I don't believe that it is someone from the local area as the community here is really great at supporting us," he said. "It's really easy to just drive up the path, so I think it has possibly been a chancer who has dumped it and went home."
The church was vandalised in December as they put together food parcels and organised toybank donations ahead of Christmas.
Still, Rev Murray does not believe they are being specifically singled out for attack.
"I don't think that we are being targeted," he said. "The reason I don't think it's someone in the local area is because people know the work that we are doing and I don't believe that a community like Pollok would do something like this."
Murray said the incident was a "set back" and asked that people have a "little more consideration when doing things like this".
Local councillor David McDonald called the incident "really frustrating and hugely disrespectful".
"Pollok Baptist Church has helped feed and care for our community and those out in need throughout the current crisis," he added. "They deserve all our thanks and our respect."
McDonald insisted that "whoever is responsible for this ignorant act, will be tracked down" and noted that he had requested local CCTV be checked "to help identify the selfish idiots involved".
In a 5th January Facebook update, the church said that Glasgow City Council had sent staff to help clear up the mess. "Thanks GCC cleansing Dept," they wrote.
Cleaning up the rubbish. Credit: Facebook/Pollok Baptist Church
Anyone with information related to the fly-tipping is urged to contact the authorities.