Driven to distraction by mobile litter louts

Published: 2nd June, 2011

• IT seems the battle to keep our roadsides clear of litter is never ending. 

This situation is not helped by the current legal loophole that lets litter louts get away with it. 

Currently local councils can’t take effective action against people who throw litter out of their cars because the existing law requires the council to prove the identity of the individual who threw the litter, rather than just proving that litter was thrown from the car in the first place.

I support the work by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Local Government Association and Keep Britain Tidy to amend the existing law, so that whoever owns the vehicle is responsible for what is thrown out of it, similar to the way laws on speeding, wearing seat belts and fly-tipping work.

I’m sure there are hundreds of councils, citizens and motorists who are sick of roadside litter. Clearing up this litter is expensive and dangerous and this simple change to the law would provide our council with an effective deterrent against the careless and thoughtless behaviour of litterers. 

Write to your MP. 

See the draft letter at: www.cpre.org.uk
Judy Dixey,
NW5