THE Forest of Dean, together with the Wye Valley is a beautiful part of the country, and we are very lucky to live in such an area.

However, our environment is being spoiled by litter, fly tipping, dog fouling, chewing gum, cigarette butts etc.

The majority of us are, of course, litter conscious but those who are not so careful may be unaware that discarding rubbish irresponsibly is a danger to domestic animals, wildlife and birds.

It pollutes our water systems and generally spoils our precious countryside, towns and villages.

Not only that, it is an eyesore. In our towns and picnic sites there are bins available for litter but in the countryside a great deal of litter is thrown out of cars and consists of bottles, cans, takeaway cartons and fish and chip papers.

The public has to pay for clearing up litter. The cost to the taxpayer in the UK has risen to over £850million and is set to rise to over £1 billion in the near future. This is such a negative way of spending our hard-earned money. We should be spending it in a positive way by improving our NHS, Schools, Environment and Roads which is of benefit to all.

Littering is a criminal offence which, on conviction, can lead to a fine of up to £2,500. Councils also hand out fixed penalty notices to anyone caught dropping litter.

Please, remember to dispose of litter responsibly. Bin it or take it home and bin it. This will keep our countryside safe, clean and tidy. Thank you.

– Cllr Christine Jones, Brockhollands, West Dean Parish Council.