Schoolgirl is on a mission to rid Larbert’s streets of litter

St Bernadettes Primary schoolgirl Eva Kilcoin is on a one-girl mission to clear Larberts streets of litter, one bag of rubbish at a time. Picture: Michael Gillen

Sick fed up of the “mess” around Larbert train station and Muirhall Road specifically, seven-year-old Eva Kilcoin has taken it upon herself to try to tackle the issue.

The St Bernadette’s Primary pupil has been pounding the pavements, with support from her parents, a few times a week after school to collect everything from crisp packets to plastic bottles.

Eva’s eagerness to rid the area of rubbish has left her dad, Ged, struggling to keep count of the number of bags of litter she has gathered in the past month.

The ball began rolling when Eva set off on her first litter pick while out playing with friends and it doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon, if the youngster has her way.

Ged said: “I’m very proud. She’s doing all this off her own back.

“She was out playing with friends a few weeks ago and came back and chapped the door asking for disposable gloves.

“Her mum told me that night. She thought Eva had been out picking up a couple of bits in the front garden but she said ‘I’ve been up and down the street’.

“Her whole objective was to try to get a Blue Peter badge and that was what drove the interest.

“She’s collected about a dozen bags of rubbish with me and I don’t know how many more with her mum.”

Despite her tender years, Eva appreciates that it will take more than a few litter picks to open others’ eyes to the scale of the problem.

That is why she and her dad have written to the local authority, as well as rail bosses, in an attempt to draw the attention of officials and senior figures to the issue.

Ged continued: “Last year she wrote a letter to Network Rail asking for more bins. Nothing has come back.

“We sent a letter to Falkirk Council but they have a poster campaign for rubbish collection.

“I sent in another letter and they have said they’re looking into the number of bins in the area but I said to Eva it’s more about education.

“Eva thinks that more people should look after the environment.

“I think that, at seven years old, the kids of today could possibly teach us adults a lesson!”