SIR – Tom Edwards recently reported on a council meeting that discussed people dropping litter on our city streets.

It costs a fortune to pick up the litter – money that we can ill afford to waste.

But far worse in my eyes than litter is the commonplace attitude that it is OK to drop cigarette butts and chewing gum.

Things move on – 30 years ago, people would not have worried too much about letting their dog defecate on a pavement. Although by no means perfect, it is much better now and most responsible dog owners pick up their dog’s mess.

Clearly this issue does need better enforcement, but it is no good non-smokers simply lecturing on this.

I believe that the answer is a combination of tougher enforcement and encouraging responsible smokers to say something to other smokers whenever they see a butt being dropped.

Let’s make dropping a cigarette butt as anti-social as leaving dog mess on the pavement.

Louis Stephen

Worcester Green Party