‘DON’T be a tosser is the direct message to litterbugs.
Warwickshire County Council and partners at both Stratford and Warwick district councils have launched a new poster campaign in response to a sharp increase in littering during lockdown.
Rugby Borough Council recently highlighted the scale of the problem, by dumping around a tonne of rubbish, which had been collected in just two hours, in a town park.
The “don’t be a tosser” campaign has been used successfully in New Zealand and elsewhere in the UK.
County environment spokeswoman Heather Timms said: “We are fully behind this campaign, and although we appreciate the language used is not in keeping with our usual approach we agree with our colleagues at districts that the issue of littering warrants such a hard-hitting campaign.
“Clearing up litter nationally costs taxpayers almost £1billion per year but more importantly we are still amid a global pandemic and there is a significant increased risk of spreading Covid-19 through littering. This campaign is aimed at telling the litter louts just what the rest of us think – there are no excuses so take it home.”
The posters will be put up in local parks and open spaces by community champions and council staff over the next few weeks and will also feature on social media.
