Drive to crackdown on litter louts

More than half of people would like to confront litter louts but would not have the nerve, polling suggests.

Just one in six people (15%) said would confront somebody they saw dropping litter, while 54% would like to but would not dare, the survey of more than 2,100 people for environmental charity Hubbub found.

But an overwhelming majority of people - 86% think littering is a "disgusting habit", with two thirds strongly agreeing with the notion.

Half-eaten food or fast food packaging, litter thrown out of a car window or left in green spaces, used chewing gum and empty drinks cans and bottles are among the rubbish people find most annoying.

People believe the most effective ways of tackling the problem of litter are to provide more bins and to make littering as socially unacceptable as drink-driving, rather than higher fines or more council spending, the polling by Populus found.

The results were published as Hubbub unveiled its "litter manifesto", calling for more action from the Government, businesses and local organisations to make public spaces cleaner, safer and more inviting.

The charity is also launching a "Neat Streets" campaign with London's Westminster Council to test out new ways of encouraging people not to drop litter, including a street gallery of "my street is your street" posters to build pride in the area and Gumdrop on-the-go bins for chewing gum.

There will also be "talking rubbish" interactive bins which say thank you and make other noises, and a Peppermint Pointillist art installation where people can dispose of their gum to reveal faces.

Trewin Restorick, founder of Hubbub said: "Littering affects us all - making our local spaces dirtier, less welcoming, and encouraging anti-social behaviour - and it's up to all of us to take action to tackle it.

"Hubbub is seeking to create a fresh approach to fighting litter, making it easier for government, businesses and local organisations to work effectively together.

"We have found the best new approaches from around the world and are launching Neat Streets with a series of interactive installations throughout the summer to engage the public, raise awareness of littering and ultimately to change people's behaviour."

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