Lobby your MP to help stop littering

THE battle to keep our roadsides clear of litter is never-ending. Much of this litter consists of cigarette litter, drink cans, plastic and glass bottles and take-away food packaging. The situation is not helped by the current legal loophole that lets litterers get away with it scot-free.

Currently our 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.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the Local Government Association and Keep Britain Tidy are working together to amend the existing law, so that whoever owns the vehicle is responsible for what is thrown out of it. This is what happens in regard to laws on speeding, wearing seat belts and fly-tipping.

Roadside litter degrades our countryside and clearing it is expensive to councils and dangerous for their employees. This simple change to the law would provide our councils with an effective deterrent against the careless and thoughtless vehicle drivers and passengers.

There is the opportunity for this to be done via an amendment to the Localism Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament. Further information can be found at www.cpre.org.uk.

I would like to encourage your readers to write to our MP about the issue.

TRACEY HIPSON

Branch Administrator

CPRE Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Market Hill

St Ives