A new anti-litter campaign will start this week in North Hertfordshire’s parks and green spaces, with posters put up encouraging visitors to dispose of their waste appropriately.

The posters part of North Herts District Council’s response to a recent rise in littering – with residents making the most of parks and green spaces in the district during the coronavirus pandemic.

The equivalent of eight to 10 litter bins of waste have been picked from the ground at Great Ashby District Park and one and a half vans full of litter a day have been removed from Hitchin’s Windmill Hill this summer.

The council’s ‘Don’t be a tosser’ posters will remind visitors it is their responsibility to help keep the districts parks and green spaces clear of litter.

Cllr Steve Jarvis, NHDC’s executive member for environment said: “While it’s great that more people are using the parks to exercise or have socially distanced get-togethers, it’s clear that some visitors forget or simply can’t be bothered to take their litter home with them, or put it in a litter bin.

“Tossing litter onto the ground is antisocial, creates an eyesore and costs the taxpayer to clean it up so please heed the message and dispose of your litter safely and responsibly.”

NHDC is launching its anti-litter poster campaign just prior to Keep Britain Tidy’s summer long ‘Love Parks’ campaign – which encourages people across the UK to care for and respect their parks and green spaces.