LIKE millions of others, we get a tremendous sense of wellbeing when we see the patchwork quilt of green fields below us as we fly back from more arid destinations.

However, this feeling passes as we move on to the road. Here we are faced with the mountains of litter and rubbish which desecrate verges and hedgerows. The sides of our roads are depressing compared to those in most of Europe.

At first we felt this only affected our own county but, having visited friends in Suffolk, we realise it is a nationwide epidemic.

The quality and visual attractiveness of our roadside verges and hedgerows have become a national disgrace.

Bottles, tin-cans, plastic bags and other forms of rubbish provide an unsightly backdrop to residents and visitors. Some is discarded from passing cars, while the larger pieces can only have come from lorries or refuse trucks. Britain has become the dirty man of Europe.

The Government needs to develop a strategy on this issue. For this to happen, a backbench business committee debate needs to take place in the Commons. To this end, we have created an online petition which will require at least 100,000 signatures for it to be considered. This can be found at epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48739

Maggie and Alan Chapman, Leven, Beverley, East Yorks