SORRY to get back on my soapbox again, but my pet subject of litter has raised its ugly head once more.

That august body, The Campaign To Protect Rural England, is concerned about the amount of rubbish littering our once beautiful countryside and who can blame them?

As far as I'm concerned, litter louts are beyond contempt and at the very bottom of the (fast) food chain.

The campaign is trying to come up with a snappy slogan we can all remember, similar to the 'Clunk Click Every Trip' used to persuade us to wear seat belts years ago.

I would like to rant on for another three pages about how I feel on the subject, but I suspect that most of you agree with me and those that don't are much too lazy to change their ways.

I don't believe, however, that it has a lot to do with intelligence, as I've seen some pretty untidy students in my time.

I've thought of making a poster featuring a high tech robot throwing a crisp packet into a pond with the slogan, 'Intelligence High – Common Sense Zero' (even a slug has more brain power).

I think this might be a bit unfair on slugs as they are, for all their faults, part of the eco-system and biodegradable.

I have to use the A1 at least once a week and the filth on the verges and in the lay-bys is unbelievable.

Most days you will see men litter picking and, although they do their best, they just can't keep up with the sheer volume of rubbish thrown out of vehicles.

Don't think that here in Lincolnshire we have got away with it, as all roads in from Peterborough, Grantham, Stamford, Newark and Doncaster are pretty bad.

I'm not sure what the answer is to this problem, but I think we should start in the primary schools as, by the time young people get to be teenagers, I fear it might be too late to make them change their ways.

I would like to see just one community in England with the guts and the backbone to declare them selves litter-free. Just think about it, driving past a sign proclaiming Britain's First Litter Free Village.

This could be extended to the first Litter Free Town and Litter Free City. We could do it if the will was there, but I fear the selfish gene, that all humans possess, makes many of us too lazy to walk to the nearest bin.

LITTER LOUTS: The message needs to start in primary schools before it's too late.