Britain is tidier though dog mess is on the up

Is it thanks to years of campaigning by Keep Britain Tidy, or over zealous council employees charging harassed mums every time their child drops a mouthful of sausage roll?

We aren’t sure, but apparently Britain is starting to get tidier.

Figures from Keep Britain Tidy show decreases in soft drink cans and bottles, cigarette ends, fast food litter, broken glass and discarded food thrown down in public areas.

The findings reported in the Local Environmental Quality Survey England did show increases in dog mess, graffiti and plastic bags.

A total of 12,000 sites were surveyed in 52 local council areas, to assess the different forms of litter and how much there was.

Environment Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick said: “It really does matter to all of us that our streets and places where we live and work are getting a little cleaner – but there is much more to do. It only takes a little effort to put our litter in the bin, but it makes a huge difference to our own well-being and to the environment.”