Amsterdam city centre must never again be left in such a mess as happened this weekend with Gay Pride, city alderman Eric van der Burg says in Monday’s Parool newspaper.

Tens of thousands of people turned out to watch the traditional boat parade on Saturday, leaving tonnes of rubbish and broken glass behind them.

‘It was a real mess on Sunday and this morning cyclists were still having to bike through broken glass,’ he said. ‘Tourists are supposed to be photographing our beautiful buildings, not our rubbish mountains.’

Van der Burg said the city council should have put out more temporary bins and that cleaners from all over the city should have been drafted in to clean up.

A spokesman for the central borough of Centrum said Saturday’s great weather had contributed to the problem and that the behaviour of visitors was a major issue.

‘People in little boats just chucked their rubbish on the quayside, without even getting out. That has to be cleaned up by hand,’ the spokesman said.