STROUD District Council should be applauded this week for taking such strong action against a motorist who threw his cigarette butt out of the window of his car while driving through Nailsworth.

After refusing to pay the initial fine, Northampton man Paul Coleman has now been ordered to pay more than £400 for his offence and Stroud has sent a firm lesson that littering of any kind will not be tolerated.

We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and to see certain people – especially those who don’t live here but are only passing through – show a total lack of respect for our home is infuriating.

Littering is such a selfish, lazy act.

One which is done by irresponsible, out of touch people who insist on littering our towns and countryside and who think there is someone else out there to clear up their mess.

Tell me – who do they think this someone is?

Who do they think is out there picking up other people’s cigarette butts, sweet packets and drink cans?

I’ll tell you – no one. Which means that if littering is allowed to continue without consequence then this beautiful area will eventually become not so beautiful.

It will become somewhere tourists don’t flock to every year for the views and the countryside.

What’s the point in protecting our beautiful landscape from various predatory developments if people are just going to do their utmost to destroy the countryside by littering.

We at the SNJ would like to thank the council officer who took action in this case and also SDC for ensuring the offender was made to pay for his behaviour.

Coleman must now pay just over £400, and although he didn’t appear in court we hope the authorities follow this up and make sure that he pays in full.