We were informed a couple of days ago that people who throw litter out of their car windows would face a fine of up to £80. Of course before that can happen they have to be spotted by, I assume, one of the thousands of cameras watching our every move. Or maybe an officer of the law in a police car that has strayed into a public area.

This ‘law’ is up there with all the other stupid and worthless ‘laws’ that are basically unenforceable, touch the merest tip of the iceberg, are nothing more than yet another attempt to raise revenue and do bugger all to actually deal with the problem of encouraging these people to be more socially responsible.

I have no idea what the ratio of fines to people using mobile phones while driving is but I’d bet my best hat that the majority of those prosecuted were only caught after they had caused or been involved in an accident.

Now don’t get me wrong. I walk on the outskirts of my village and each and every hedgerow is dotted with McDonalds cartons and boxes of half-chewed Kentucky Fried Plastic providing the local rats with a continuously changing parlour of delights. This is indeed a problem and since local authorities seem to have decided that the rats do a better job at garbage clearance than the road-sweepers of yesteryear, it is, of course, just left to build up and degrade slowly in the ditches that can no longer carry away the rain water.

But fines will do nothing to stem the flow. People who think it’s just dandy to throw their empty Big Mac box out of the car window will continue to do so – they will just be a little more circumspect about when they actually do it. The government may gather in a little extra revenue to help fund their expense accounts but the problem will remain. As with all the other worthless ‘laws’, it is a bankrupt idea from a government that has no idea. Having completely lost the plot about how a nation can encourage people to take part, to be proud and to have a social conscience they fall back on the old standby of fines and try to look as if they have actually done something useful while in reality doing nothing at all.

Bring back the stocks is what I say. Public humiliation works wonders. But first in, before the litterers and mobile phone users… well you know who don’t you.