08 Sep 2004

EDINBURGH's St Andrew Square is to undergo a major clean-up after managers at its Emporio Armani boutique complained about the mess. City officials admitted to SCOTSMAN.COM that they had received a deluge of complaints about the increased amount of rubbish in the area, which is also home to Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani and Calvin Klein boutiques, but it was the Armani employees' outrage that forced them to act. "You could definitely notice all the papers on the grass," said Susan Fong, an administrator at the store. "I don't know where all the rubbish came from - it was as though somebody just emptied a few rubbish bins. I noticed it one morning and I thought it was a disgrace. It seemed to appear overnight and I don't know where it came from. I am glad that something has been done about it because it does let St Andrew Square down a lot and it is a nice area." The square, which also houses Harvey Nichols, will now be cleaned up and opened to the public in a bid to make it the Scottish capital's premiere shopping location. (September 8 2004, AM)