more surveillance and more money .... The same people who make the society lazy by letting others promote unhealthy lifestyles, indulging in overeating etc now want to reap their profits through giving fines to behaviours they have encouraged. silly idea.

manzoor, birmingham, England

The only way to "educate" people on the subject of not dropping litter is to punish them. The answer is not CCTV; the answer is for a policeman to catch someone dropping litter (no CCTV needed - just walk around any shopping centre), arrest the miscreant, ensure that the offender is brought before the courts, fined or imprisoned and then ensure the offence and punishment is published in the newspapers and broadcast on TV. The entire direction of policing and justice has been perverted over the last 50 years from the sensible and logical aim of deterrence to one only of detection. Without the consequence of punishment detection is a waste of time and money.

Steve, Sutton,

The sad fact of this is that this is happening because too many folks litter. If you don't want the reaction to the problem, don't have the problem. I completely agree with the comments on cigarette butts. In the military, you field strip them (keep the cotton part) as it is a sign of your presence. Can't smokers keep an ashtray in their auto? So the costs of littering will have to be addressed - and how better than to bill those who have the bad habits?

Wes Byrd, Iowa City, USA/Iowa

I just watched a BBC story on this with an LGA rep. There really seems to be a major disconnect between the public and those 'in power' here.

He seemed to be defending his box-ticking, target-meeting, revenue generating smug case that 'how else can they 'get' a prosecution?'. What on earth happened to innocent until proven guilty? Evidence gathering is fine. But these systems can only be justified to prove conclusively that laws were broken, and in complement to other legal processes. And not as far as I could make out from this piece to gather as many cases where they 'might have been'. Are we really at a point when it is up to an individual to prove what a single traffic warden 'thinks' they saw was incorrect to counter a potentially damaging, and flawed, prosecution?

Peter , Ross on Wye, UK

Take on board the comments of David Leighton. He speaks the truth. View Youtube channel 'mensaid' to view some informative videos.

Michael, Manchester, England

John said: "Why can't politicians trust people and encourage them to do the right thing with incentives - what went wrong?"

We tried that in the 1980's and it failed dismally. All we got was rampant crime and failing schools. The British people have demonstrated countless times that they cannot be trusted to look after themselves. We love nannies, but we complain about the nanny state. You can't have it both ways: you really do get the society you deserve

Richard Holmes, Stourbridge,

Yes here we go again - councils are absolved of the responsibility to keep streets clean and to provide bins in which to put rubbish having removed most of them because of 'security' - haha what a wonderful money saving wheeze that one is. They no longer have to collect rubbish weekly, in actual fact one wonders what councils do really supply these days ?Labour have transformed them all from public servants into civil enforcement agents of the socialist state - no longer there to provide a service but instead to harrass, fine, oppress and interfere in the lives of residents to ensure they do not breach socialist guides of conduct . The vicious and spiteful propaganda of the Labour party paints these councils as though they are brave warriors fighting against the careless and feckless abandon of an ever more menacing public - when like everything else coming out of Brown's crooked Marxist cabal, nothing could be further from the truth

Bryan, Totland Bay, UK

Steve in Watford.
Totally agree. I'm sure anyone caught and hit with a £80 fine would think twice before littering again. If cameras are the only way to enforce this then so be it. I don't understand the aversion that some people have to cameras, its a fact of life, they are there, get used to them. I can assure you anyone who has been mugged and then seen the offenders sent to prison becasue they were caught on cctv has no complaints about them. The attitiude that people have to littering is like their attitude to much of the rest of society, totaly self centred and selfish.

James Lock, London, London

Just another knee jerk Labour response - if enough opinion polls show the public to be against the idea they will withdraw it. They fail to understand that the idea of 'community' rarely exists in this country anymore. People simply don't care or realise that their actions affect other people - education is the key, but unfortunately this will have to be undertaken by the schools as an increasingly large number of parents have no idea of their responsibility to their children. I am astounded almost every day by the number of toddlers who drop rubbish casually from their pushchairs whilst their mothers idly stand by totally unconcerned.

Rebecca, Grimsby, UK

I work in community safety and have been issueing notices to motorists for years, up untill I fined a "freind" of the head of the council. It is now prohibited! Perfectly legal, but prohibited!

Stuart, Doncaster,

Street and road side littering is a big problem. I am only too aware of it living in the east end of London (borough of Newham) and often wonder why such people are not fined who carelessly leave their refusal including old mattresses and TVs on the pavement and get away with it. A heavy handed approach is definitely needed and must be implemented, as rigorously as car fines.

Abdul, London,

My personal opinion is that this country is more interested in making money out of nothing...there is so much happing out there where our lives are put on risk but the governement is to weak to admit that instead of just eating our hard earnt money to concerntrate on more serious issues this country has catching speeders and litter bugs is so easy its like selling cheap sweets where you know children will come and buy...open your mind uk...!!!

izzie, berkshire, UK

The only real solution way is not to punish or threaten but to change attitudes and that will take a generation, but I believe it is possible, like this:
FACT: not everybody in this country litters because for them it is a dirty, shameful thing to do.
TASK: Educate the rest to believe as above
METHOD: In every community, put out the message that leaving litter is a dirty habit, in the form of a blunt slogan on paving stones such as 'Dirty people drop litter - use a bin'. Of course hardened litterers will ignore it but my idea is that young children will ask mum what the words say and get the message. It's very important the message is blunt and personal - nobody likes to be thought of as dirty. Slowly, I believe, attitudes will change.

[I've seen pavement-stamping used against dog fouling in Holland]

Giles Bradley, Exeter, UK

I'm just happy to live in Russia - a free, democratic country. No doubt, most people reading this will disbelieve it. Still, you gotta be here to see the truth...... the 4th Reich this ain't - can you honestly say the same about Blightie? The Germans would never have believed it either, but it just creeps up on you and bites you on the bum, y'know? Are we really any different........

Bill Beetham, Moscow, Russia

Yet another lazy revenue scheme brought to you by a government with no ideas.

Larry, Stratford,

Here in Florida we have three garbage collections a week, regular street cleaning, and, as a result, the place is clean.
In Britain you have massive exhortation to people to not drop litter, but nowhere for them to deposit it. What few litter bins there are are rarely emptied and when they are they are the job is done so carelessly that a significant amount is simply deposited on the pavement again. Why not spend a little more of street cleaning and garbage collection, a little less on traffic and surveillance cameras? You pay for these services, they are supposed to be provided, why not complain a little more loudly?

John Wood, Poinciana, USAh

It is long overdue that something is done to tackle the disgusting state of our main roads and country lanes that are blighted by selfish people who drop their litter.
Well done Joan Ruddock Mp who has a good record on bringing in legislation to tackle serial flytippers, she was acting on long standing concerns by residents in her Deptford constituency about out of control fly tipping near Millwall football ground in South East London.
There needs to be a lot more enforcement of existing litter laws, that would concentrate the minds of offenders if they were fined a substantial amount and made to clean up litter hot spots. But as many contributors have noted that the "do gooders" and assorted "human rights brigade" would say it is against "health and safety" to make them pick up litter from highway verges. Tough!
We have too many people who are just lazy and selfish and will not put their litter in the bin provided even if it is under their nose. Make them clean their mess up!

Carl kisicki, Biddulph, Staffs

This is purely to make money like the speed cameras.

When the idea of CCTV was 'sold' to us, it was to tackle crime and terrorism

Theres a council cctv camera right outside where i live. My car wing mirror was kicked off one night. THe police said its extremely unlikely that the camera would have caught the event (from 15feet away). This was because it a cheap still-frame camera that records to harddisk even through the area has a lot of social crime.

This articles and the news that cameras will be used to fine parking offenders makes it obvious to me that the main priority and motivation is as revenue generation rather than actually tackle crime.

They are going to have to pay someone to watch cameras to make money, rather than watch cameras to spot crime.
Whatsmore, they will spend more on better cameras for chasing this revenue than the cameras for tackling street crime in housing areas etc

this country is a joke

Ian, Webb, uk

The car is an easy target, it has a number on it by which it's owner can be identified, and the owner can clearly afford the car. Therefore if the state sends the owner a fine for this fault or that then the state can force him to pay a fine on pain of having his car crushed. I'm sure litter from cars is not the most serious problem in the land, but perhaps its an easy way for the state to make money. I'm not sure which I find more disturbing, that the state is willing to seek funds in this manner, or that the state is willing to put so much effort into something so petty.

Dorian Millachip, Winchester, Hants

I used to live in a central african country in the early 70's where the streets were tidy and clean. And the way this was done - simple if you were convicted of an offence and imprisoned then you were set to work mending the roads, litter picking, painting the local hospital etc. This was and is constructive rehabilitation but it would never work in this country until the human rights act is replaced . As an aside it should also be a condition of claiming benefits that you should do x number of hours community work per week. That would then foster a spirit of pride and educate people to look after their surroundings

Steve, Manchester,

We used to have that problem in the 1960's,with people throwing their garbage out of the car while driving down the highway.
Education and public awareness solved the problem in just a couple of years and now I rarely see waste in the sides of the highways.

Tim, Toronto,

Another problem is the lack of decent street cleaners.Our council privatised this some while ago,and I can assure you that every afternoon about 6 street cleaners all congregate in a little lane near my house.For at least 2 hours they stand there doing nothing but talking to each other.12 hours of sweeping per day is lost but when I complained the council shrugged it off and so did the company employing them.I would also say that my road is rarely cleaned even though my council tax is now over £200 per month.They send a bloke in a motorised cleaner and if he can't get to the rubbish because of parked cars,it's hard luck as he's off somewhere else.

Mike, Dunstable, England

We all want a crackdown on those responsible for litter, but the most littered roads in our area are the ones our local council collection vehicles use, and spill litter over, on their way to our recycling depot.

Brian Christley, Abergele , UK

Its very sad that big brother is here to stay. Thats why I never vote anymore, 'democracy' is only a gravy train for career politicians to get whatever they can screw out of the public purse and to enforce their views on the public by cameras, banning things and trying to control our every thought and movement. Not much difference than China or Zimbabwe except they dont control the police and armed forces in an idealogical sense (yet). Just watch what you say, think or do in modern UK, someone is always watching, listening and reporting.

Ian, Bristol,

Why is just the motorist being targeted in this manner? Just another example of LABOUR hate of the car and wanting to push onto public transport.

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

More CCTV cameras? Great idea! I'm all for that. Let's start by putting more cameras in police stations, to try and prevent all those 'accidents' that befall so many prisoners.

Todd Germain, Leeds,

It's a global problem. I live in Switzerland which people used to say was the cleanest country in the world. Now to get to a waste bin (invariably empty) you have to wade through a carpet of chewing gum and trash. I come to the UK and am actually surprised how clean everything is (compared to Switzerland).
I recently came back from Singapore and was amazed at their wonderfully clean streets. How do they do it? They actually give punishments to people who misbehave (not just trivial meaningless fines). But that would be a bit too much to ask in Europe (human rights etc).

Michael, Basel, Switzerland

We have always lived with litter, dog poo and people trying to get their children into schools outside their catchment are but the way local authorities, sanctioned by central government, are dealing with these is abominable!

This country is NOT a democracy! We are strait-jacketed, controlled and spied-upon. Our privacy and freedom are being squeezed to the enth degree; it is getting close to being unendurable and I am almost in despair!

Have things gone beyond repair? Is it not possible, even yet, to reverse all these evils which suffocate us?

The control exercised over private individuals in this country must, by now, be almost on a par with the most notorious dictatorships around the world.

If you don't like the Stasi style Police State we are living in, The Rt.Hon.Sir Christopher Rose, The Chief Surveillance Commissioner, invites the comments of members of the public on this link:
http://www.surveillancecommissioners.gov.uk/index.html

Tell him what you think!

CathyK, West Sussex, England

Typically British solution to a problem. Indolent councils decide they will save money by only collecting rubbish every two weeks, then fine people for dumping it. Why not increase rubbish collection to three times a week and have street cleaners like we used to. Or would that use up the money local councillors hand out to their relatives who own multi-million pound CCTV companies?

eric cmapbell, harrogate, uk

It is inevitable that the cameras watching our every move will be put to more uses to generate money.

tony, brighton,

Public spirited residents of Woodbridge Suffolk organised a litter picking event round the town. When they took the bags of rubbish to the council tip they were threatened with either a £20,000 fine for depositing 't;rade waste' in the skip or a prosecution for fly tipping if they put it back where they found it.

http://tinyurl.com/4l2ceb

The authorities in this country have become so vindicative it's getting to the stage where no one gives them any respect or has any national pride at all.

John Carr, Nayland, Suffolk

cctv is great,councils can catch litterers and car parkers for fines but can plod catch muggers of my daughter,no chance!Answer become a mugger to pay your fines.A Normany veteran i know thinks we would be better off under those fascists not the present ones.

jjones, west mids,

A good idea.

I live in a semi rural area. The lane to my house has become subject to fly tipping and every weekday someone, presumably from a nearby business, throws away their lunchtime sandwiche wrappers and drinks bottles all neatly wrapped up in the carrier bag.

Cameras are the only realistic way of catching anti social people.

John, Hampshire, UK

WARNING WARNING tag number 2435677 678777 identified on camera 688678 sector 987989976 committed violation number 688678,

It's arrived! George Orwell you were right all along.

james philpotts, stratford upon avon,

Never having been one to drop litter, I'm not sure what some people need to discourage them, but if a tool exists (ie cctv), why not use it? And don't give me that Big Brother clap-trap!

Education? What exactly do we need to 'teach', in this matter? There are just some people who know that its wrong, but do not care. There is an attitude amongst some, especially young people, that they won't be told what to do. Its a petty form of rebellion. For these people, fines are the only way. YOU try and reason with them if you want, but take care. And you might find it difficult if they are driving away in a car!

I'm reminded of ex-pat South Koreans (now living in London), who took EVERY piece of litter with them after watching South Korea play in a World Cup game on a big screen in Trafalgar Square in '02. What made them do that? Why would 'we' simply leave it for someone else to pick up? Maybe its cultural too?!

steve, watford, UK

This is the way to create employment - It looks good on the government's employment figures. More time wasters! What a scam! Local Authorities should cut down on costs - these are public funds. Local Authorities should get help from the public themselves - the public should report any offender to the Local Authorities in return for a reward! Let us work together - the world will be much better place for our children.

Karan H L Hirani, London,

We need active policing, not more surveillance!

I spend a lot of time in the United States and see more police cars in one day than I do in my part of the UK in a year. The US highway patrol enforce the law and they do it extremely well; from speeding and dangerous driving to littering and stopping unsafe vehicles. Cameras can only catch a vehicle speeding at one specific geographic location - a complete waste of time - you see a camera you slow down - then you speed up again!

With surveillance cameras, all you need do is drive with false number plates and you'll never get caught, for any crime, anywhere!
... there are no police to catch anyone!!

peterj, plymouth, uk

Facing an unenviable choice between mass-espionage and a revolting tsunami of discarded fag ends, KFC wrappers and plastic supermarket bags, what is the honest, hardworking, middle-class Brit to do?

I don't like the idea of being watched 24/7 by CCTV cameras, but I find Cromwell's vision of a laissez-faire cesspit even less appealing. We may not want to be watched by the police all the time, but it's abundantly clear that we simply can't be trusted to police ourselves.

We're disgusting, and now we're getting the sort of society we deserve.

andrew, London,

Stick all your arguments about rights and privacy. If people can't exercise self control, then control must be imposed upon them. As the collective memory fades of WWII and even the great struggle for freedom in the 60s, people are becoming slobs. Take their money, take their cars and bicycles, and take away their freedom away until they show some appreciation again.

Melina Jackson, Leicester, UK

@ Glo

'Educating the population not punishing them is the real solution. Unless of course this is another scheme for the council just to make money...'

Oh please. That 'tax' argument is so tired. If you do not litter you wilI not lose a penny, which you currently are as people are employed to pick up other peoples waste. I have no dispute with education. Bring it on. But, really, it's not rocket science to put something in a bin.

ayersy, Leigh-on-Sea, England

The increasing filth of this country, is I believe due to the fact that many people only care about their own property and not about that which is shared. Drop litter on their garden and they'd soon complain about it. Of course those who do not own a property feel they have no financial stake in keeping an area clean and therefore are more than happy to bring it down.

Re-educating people shouldn't rely on yet more CCTV. It will only cause resentment and many people may deliberately drop litter in front of the cameras as a 'dare'. As for the taxation element, I agree with the comment that retailers and manufacturers should pick up the cost of this. Litter-picking would be a better punishment for yobbery than as ABSO.

Paul, Coventry,

I was waiting on a bus to leave Hillingdon last week. A young woman sat and ate a picnic as she waited.Every fruit skin and wrapping was calmly dropped on the floor. One lady pointed out to her that she 'seemed to have dropped something'. The young woman replied in a north american accent that she knew and would pick it up before she left the bus. She didnt.
I wonder why a foreign national felt she could so glibly help to destroy our surroundings.
By the way she also sat in the disabled /old persons seats and was neither.

betty, hayes , uk

We need all these cameras taken down NOW. I would far rather run all the risks that they are supposed to protect us from, than be photographed within an inch of my life every 5 seconds.

This is a particularly nasty one. First they make it difficult for people to dispose of their rubbish; then they criminalise them for doing the only thing left?

Roger Pearse, Ipswich,

Here we go. Another chance to put more surveillance on our streets. The person who drops a carton in the street should be made to pick it up not fined.
Fly tipping is a separate issue. It is an unbelievable problem stemming from the fact that to legally dump material you have to pay such a lot of money so it is cheaper to dump it illegally. Solutions to this are not to cover the country with surveillance cameras, but to target known offenders and hit them hard where it hurts. This will discourage others from doing it in the first place. Seize vans/cars even houses to cover the cost of the clean up. Lead by example to others.
Rant over..thanks for reading!

Geraint, Worcester,

Don't worry nothing will happen if it goes to the courts our able judges will over turn any
charges. Stopping people littering would be an infringement of their human rights.

Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand

Educating the population not punishing them is the real solution. Unless of course this is another scheme for the council just to make money...

Gio, London,

The issue is less about litter, and more about control over the citizens of this country. Heed today's story about councils using anti-terror law to spy on people suspected of minor offenses. Witness attempts by the left wing to suspend habeus corpus, first by 90 days and now by 45. Remember all the freedoms you have lost since New Labour came to power: guns, smoking, smacking children, beef on the bone - with socialism its either banned or compulsory. Thats what man-made global warming is all about: one more arrow in the political quiver used to control and keep the country's population docile. But it doesn't stop here. It will continue as one by one more controls are introduced to limit or freedoms and subordinate us to the political class. Welcome to a cross between 1984 and a Clockwork Orange.

David leighton, Worthing, UK

One of the things that amazed me when I came to the UK is how disgustingly dirty it is. I thought have these people no pride, no respect for their country that they treat it like a garbage tip? Do these people not care about the environment? I have travelled all over the world and your streets, buses, trains etc are some of the filthiest I have seen anywhere. It is shameful and a national disgrace. You have an explosion of the vermin population in your cities I wonder why? The lack of rubbish bins is stupid and so is the idea of taxing households for disposing of their rubbish when fly tipping is rampant. Taxing the retailers and manufacturers for the cost of disposal of the products they sell is a much better idea. So is a national education campaign to reduce it. Be warned though when you British people travel to other parts of the world where people care for their environment and littering is not accepted you can expect to be told to stop your disgusting habit

M.Elliott, Birmingham, UK

While I hate litter louting, I despise schemes like this even more. What's next, a camera in your toilet to see when you go to the bathroom? This wretched Labour government is the most interfering, spying and dispicable British government I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. Maggie was a Heavenly Goddess compared to this bunch of parasites. I could bear them no more and emmigrated to Australia where I actually have a quality of life and a level of freedom that seems to have evaporated in the UK.

It just beggars belief on how out of touch they are with the ordainary public. To think the British voted for this shower three times. I pray for your own sakes you do not vote for them a fourth time or Britain as we once knew it will cease to exist.

Mitch, Melbourne, Australia

Sorry Nick, I'm with Cromwell. My daughter done for a fag end, £50. A friend at the wheel, £60 for biting a sandwich, spotted by a copper. Fag ends are in, and it's nothing to do with crime, or "anti-social behaviour". Recently my garden invaded by a stolen car; two large trees destroyed, my son's car written off. Result: nowt; no money in it. Cameras, (our security), police, (our protectors), utter crap. They are no more than revenue generators for the fascistos at Westminster. ANSWER: if you must work, and tip up 60% of your income to Gordon & Co., go do it. Otherwise stay indoors, away from the cameras, and the secret police. I used to visit my local, but now I'm a pariah, because I smoke, so it's not worth the risk of being arrested with a fag! Stay hidden, and forever vote for the National Front. Don't go outdoors, it will also save you spending what little you have left from your income after the rip off from Westminster. Believe me, THIS IS THE FUTURE.

John Lee, USSR of Ellesmere Port, Cheshi, Disunited Kingdom

About time somthing was done about this problem which is ruining the countryside and cities for everyone. As far as smokers are concerned they have always thought they are exempt from all rules of a decent society. People who dont dispose of fag end properly should be included as well.Unfortunately this is the only way to deal with some people who dont think about others.

simon, Arezzo, Italy

Why on earth should I pay a tax on takeaway food when I have never in my life improperly disposed of such a container?

Why should I be tracked & spied on when I've never thrown so much as an apple core out of a car window?

Why is the majority always expected to put up and shut up on account of an uncivilised minority?

Angela, Woking, UK

Will a minimum size of litter be defined? Will the ubiquitous "fag-end" be exempt? It seems this small piece of waste never seems to be considered as litter by the people who dispose of it no matter how many millions are casually tossed in the street each year.
Ah silly me though, it'll turn out the same way as talking on the phone whilst driving a car won't it, just another government sound biteto be ignored after a few days!!!

Nick, Potters Bar, UK

CCTV foisted on us in the name of security but now its real purpose is unmasked as a covert money making machine used by a desperate and bankrupt government looking for any excuse to rip off joe public and fill its empty coffers. How about a fine for every lie told by politicians, that should raise a hefty sum. As for the blight on rural areas I think Mr Bryson is barking up the wrong tree the tacky housing developer and the government have a lot to answer for on that score. Remember a broken CCTV collects nothing.

Cromwell, Leeds, England

Good idea but the problem runs deeper than that. If people thing nothing of littering it shows they think nothing of their neighbours and fellow subjects. This attitude permeates British society and can only be corrected by teaching people from the age of 2 years upwards that they must do better. If little Johnny learns to bin his rubbish, he is more likely to be a good neighbour whatever age he is. Therefore less likely to be a lager lout later. Britain could do with a little more humanity and you have to start with the basics.

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

Litter is a blight on the landscape, but what a surprise Labour 's response CTV and fines. This is a party that cannot think out of the box - they are incapable of positive thoughts or ideas, just punishment and scolding. Why can't politicians trust people and encourage them to do the right thing with incentives - what went wrong?

John, manchester,