Our Man in Westminster

Iwas delighted that this newspaper chose to run on its front page last week the news that a big new crackdown on litter has started in Ashford. Clearly it caused a shock to some of those caught but I am completely behind this initiative.

There are various social ills which annoy all of us but surely litter is one of the worst, for the simple reason that it is always unnecessary.

Particularly in a town centre, it is always possible to find a bin within a few minutes, or to take the litter home and dispose of it there.

There is no reason for any litter to be dropped apart from the laziness and selfishness of those who do it.

It should be said that Ashford is considerably better than some other parts of the country when it comes to litter. Broadly speaking the bigger the town the worse the problem, with London in a class of its own at the wrong end of the spectrum.

There are cities, and indeed whole countries, who seem to have eliminated the problem altogether.

It would be great if Ashford could follow their example, and this initiative could go a long way towards it. There is a good deal of evidence that if there is no rubbish lying around in an area people are much less likely to drop the first piece.

This is a subtle, silent form of social conditioning which works all over the world, so I assume it will work here as well.

Advertising campaigns can do some good but publicity that you will be caught and punished if you transgress will, I suspect, be even more effective.

So I hope that we will all see the town centre cleaner and tidier in the coming months.