Just days after receiving worldwide recognition as one of the best cities in the world to visit, Glasgow has been hit with the unfortunate title of “third-dirtiest in the world”.

Trailing behind only Rome in Italy and New York in the USA, Scotland’s biggest city came third in a poll by Time Out magazine.

Of the Glaswegians who took part, 67% used the word “dirty” to describe their hometown.

The city’s streets have been a contentious issue for quite a while, with calls to action coming to a head during last year’s COP26 when rubbish piled up as bin collectors and street cleaners went on strike.

Labelled by some as a “public health disaster”, Glasgow’s streets continued to get messier as the city council’s cleansing department was affected by staff absences due to illness throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Air pollution also plagues the city centre, with environmental campaigners stating in January that Hope Street had breached legal limits for fuel pollution in 2021 – making it the most polluted street in Scotland that year.

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