I WROTE to Mylor Parish Council the letter I quote below. The council discussed my letter at its meeting on January 5 and expressed concern about the way quiet roads in the neighbourhood of Flushing were being littered in the way I describe. They decided to inform the Devon & Cornwall Police.

My letter is as follows: “I am writing this letter as an ordinary resident of Flushing rather than as county councillor for Mylor Ward.

“Since fuel prices escalated last spring, I have taken to walking my dog around the area of Flushing village rather than going further afield using a car.

In so doing I have observed how much litter ends up in our hedgerows. In particular there are certain, minor roads, particularly the part of Pillars Road near the top, where the quantity of empty aluminium cans is truly astonishing.

The majority of these cans had contained Strongbow Cider. Whilst other brands of cider and occasionally lager are to be found, Strongbow outnumbers them three to one! Accompanying the cans are some empty packets of cigarettes.

“My practice is to collect, crush and carry home the cans for recycling. After washing, the cans go out for the fortnightly Carrick district council recycling collection. Those collecting must get a rather false impression of the Hichens family drinking habits!

“I have discussed these findings with various local residents. One theory is that, since smoking in pubs has become illegal, local youth assemble either on foot or in cars to “Strongbow Alley” to smoke and drink. Unfortunately it does not occur to some of them to take their empty cans and packets home with them. Much easier to throw them in the nearest ditch where, it is assumed, they will “disappear”.

“I am writing to the council to see if we can publicise this distasteful behaviour in the hope that the perpetrators might be shamed into changing their ways. Whilst the banning of smoking in pubs was a sensible move (at least from my perspective as a non-smoker) this may well be an unfortunate consequence of this new law.”

Robert Hichens Flushing