Why do people think it's OK to drop litter on the streets? I find it shocking to see children and adults empty their pockets or discard packets without the slightest concern about the mess they are creating, especially when they are standing next to a bin.

What's the matter with these people? Do they drop litter in their front gardens? No.

Not so long ago I watched as a man in Bromley chucked his receipt from the cashpoint onto the ground only to then go on and empty the bins at McDonald's. He was a bin man. He obviously made no connection with emptying bins and chucking rubbish on the floor.

In 1990 the Environmental Protection Act brought in supposedly tougher laws to get Britain clean, particularly our streets and public open spaces, and made littering a more serious offence.

Apparently depositing litter is a criminal offence and carries a maximum fine of £2,500. Either the police or a local authority can prosecute litterers.

Local authorities also have the power to appoint litter wardens who can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice, which is currently £50. This all sounds very good but have you actually ever heard of anyone being fined for dropping litter? Have you even seen a litter warden? I can honestly say no.

The cost of clearing up this lazy behaviour is huge.

According to Government figures, in the period between 1998 and 1999, sweeping the streets and clearing litter cost us £400m.

This is a disgusting amount of money wasted.

I think if we can't be trusted to keep our streets clean we should bring in more stringent penalties in the same vein as Singapore.

You wouldn't find anyone emptying their waste onto the streets with a potential 12-month prison sentence as the penalty for being caught.