Scottish Water says it's “urgently” looking into concerns over the state of a sewage treatment facility on the shoreline in Garelochhead.

The convener of the village's community council has written to the water authority accusing it of neglecting the plant, which extends into the loch behind the Centre 81 community and youth facility in Old School Road.

Watson Robinson told the Advertiser: “Our concern is that the structure has been let go, that Scottish Water is neglecting the look of it.

“I don't think it's affecting the ability of the structure to work properly but I do think Scottish Water has an obligation to look after their property, and I don't think they're doing it in this case.

“There are also slipways either side of the structure, and they've more or less become washed away and become a danger to the public.

“Because of the way the structure is sited it lends itself to attracting a lot of sea waste – if there's a spit of land sticking out into the water you're always going to get debris around it.

“The structure is also located on a path around the side of the loch – tourism is becoming more and more important to the area, and a large amount of debris on the shore isn't going to help.

“It's also a safety issue – it wouldn't take much for them to at least come down and take a look at it.”

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “In providing essential services to customers, we operate and own a vast amount of assets and infrastructure – which we strive to run in harmony with local communities, while protecting and enhancing the environment.

“We are urgently looking into the issues raised and investigating what work will be required to resolve them.

“We are grateful to the community council for contacting us about this matter.”