Hitchin Nub News is renowned for the quality of its columnists.

Whether they be on sport, nature, politics or community, our stable of must-read trusted contributors is growing by the day.

Therefore, we are delighted to add another name to our ever-growing list, Harry Hitchin aka Harry Fellerman.

Harry lives in our town and cares passionately about our community. The things that matter to him, matter to us all in Hitchin.

So, read on for Harry's first Nub News column as he discusses the blight of littering in Hitchin.

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The litter menace blighting Hitchin

Put simply, we have a litter problem that's spoiling Hitchin.

Whether it's the leftovers from crowds on Windmill Hill or the callous behaviour of an individual, we have a issue that needs addressing.

On multiple occasions during the past couple of weeks I've been struck by the disregard some members of our society seem to have when it comes to keeping hold of items of which they no longer require.

In one such case I watched with astonishment as a young man left a house on my Hitchin street, yogurt in hand and began discarding all elements of the packaging as he went.

Just dropped onto the road. The plastic outer, the cardboard inner and finally the film lid all left a trail of contempt for his fellow residents.

He managed to get into a waiting car before I had a chance to say anything, leaving me quietly seething in the oh-so British way.

Why do people litter?

There are lots of simple answers.

They're lazy. They've always done it. It's someone else's job to pick it up. Possibly.

There is however more to it than that.

As social beings we take our cues from those around us, both positive and negative.

When we see others discarding their half empty chicken boxes onto the grass of the local park, it's signaling to those around them that they believe that kind of behaviour is acceptable.

When people see rubbish on the street, it's all to easy to think, if whoever dropped that doesn't care then why should I?

It's also worth considering the significant stream of rubbish that blow from the regular flow of HGVs that make their way through our built up areas, but that critique is for another article.

In my mind there's a few things we can do to try and help address the problem.

The first being improving awareness, with admirable initiatives like the "Don't be a tosser" campaign grabbing particular attention.

The positive impact of litter picking groups and conscientious members of the public also deserve plaudits.

It's also important for the council to pay particular focus to the most popular picnicking spots, the likes of Windmill Hill and Bancroft Park spring to mind - making sure that the provision of bins, especially in the summer months meets the predictably high demand.

Finally on an individual level it's import to challenge peoples behaviour when we see it.

If littering became as taboo as smoking indoors or drink driving I believe we'd see a huge reduction in the amount of rubbish blighting our communal spaces.

There's always going to be a hardcore minority who'll never change, the real challenge is advancing the behaviour of those who can.

Follow Harry on Twitter here

Harry's previous articles for Hitchin Nub News

Cafe 77: A haven for burger purists

Caddy collections cancelled due to severe staff shortages as fuel crisis continues

Read more from Harry over the coming weeks

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