IN 1990, Parliament enacted the Environmental Protection Act to try and take on the blight of street littering.

In 2005, this was further strengthened by the Clean Neigbourhoods Act.

Not only did local authorities have the power to issue fines for littering but now they could keep the revenue from the fines.

These measures were then widely trumpeted by Poole council in April 2006 in the Echo, under the heading Junk Feud: ‘Councils have been given tough new powers to penalise litter louts – and they’re not afraid to use them’.

This was the ‘zero tolerance policy’ in Poole.

But it came to absolutely nothing. The trumpet went all silent.

Whatever fines were issued for littering it’s all held within council and very hard indeed to get any figures.

But all is not lost. The current administration has had in mind using a private company to issue the fines.

So – we are moving forward again. Trumpet back in action.

The Echo November last year – ‘Council declares war against litter louts’.

But no, last week Poole council yet again pulled back from making a decision to take on the thousands of litter offences each and every day.

They will not engage a private company to issue fines.

And all the legislation? What a huge and total waste of time.

Two bodies of law, three major Codes of Practice, and still Poole council, 23 years after the first legislation, will not connect the penalty, Clause 88, with the litter problem, Clause 87.

And so it is littering will continue for a few more decades unabated in Poole and we, council tax-payers, not litter offenders, continue to pay the bill.

JEFF WILLIAMS Jubilee Road, Parkstone, Poole