MOST of us are well aware that litter is a huge problem.

It is an eyesore, and it attracts vermin. It is also very expensive to clean up.

It is easy to blame the Council, whose job it is to clean up the mess dropped by others, but are we being fair in doing so?

Every week without fail the street sweeping wagon trundles round our Grove.

Any litter or leaves lying around the parked cars that the wagon cannot get at is swept into the wagon's path by the driver's assistant.

Also, on a weekly basis, another wagon parks in the Grove, and two workers hand pick the litter form the pavements and ground areas in and around the Grove.

In autumn when the leaves lie thick on the ground, these diligent workers sweep up and bag the leaves.

A better service would be hard to find.

So why then are our streets full of litter and who is to blame for it?

In the main, in our area, I would say the culprits are schoolchildren. Those who buy their breakfast at the Winchester Way shops, and deposit the crisp bags, pop bottles, etc., along the streets en route to the Withins School.

Again at lunch time they buy their food and drinks at the chip shop on Winchester Way, then drop their papers, cartons, cans, unwanted food, etc., in the streets on the way back to school.

This isn't done furtively, it's done blatantly, either because they know no better or worse they do not care.

The other day I got off the bus behind a mother and child. As they got off, the child threw an empty McDonalds carton on to the grass near the bus stop. The mother didn't bat an eyelid. With parents like this, it is little wonder our streets are the mess they are.

As I have repeatedly said, we can not leave the teaching of good manners to parents such as this. Good manners/citizenship must be taught as a priority in schools from a very early age, and continued until we are consistently turning out responsible young citizens.

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Grove

Bolton