PEOPLE really don’t care about this planet.

They use face masks to protect themselves from a deadly virus, then they throw that mask into grass verges, or stuff them in bushes.

They use small plastic bags to collect dog mess, carefully tie the tops then stick them on trees or chuck them on the ground.

They take pains to keep the upholstery in their cars clean when eating a take-away, then throw the packaging out of the window.

When the pandemic is well and truly over, I would like whichever government is running the country to tackle all this. I would like them to take litter seriously. Up to now, it seems to me, no-one has.

This is a filthy country and it is getting worse. Discarded rubbish may not result in many human deaths, but wildlife and the environment are certainly taking a hit.

Whenever I go for a walk along the river near my house I take a carrier bag. If I spot any litter I pick it up and take it home to dispose of either in my bin or recycling tubs.

Usually I come home with a handful of items - the odd can or bottle, crisp or cigarette packet. But over the past six months there’s been so much rubbish I’ve had to take a spare carrier. My husband says he no longer enjoys our walks as they are constantly broken up by my frequent stops.

A report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) claims that that the public are littering more than usual during lockdown, mainly because they are using more disposable items such as takeaway cartons and more single-use items due to safety and hygiene fears.

No matter what they use, they should not be dropping it on the ground or throwing it out of car windows - something I regularly witness.

They clearly believe no-one is going to notice or care. Keep Britain Tidy reports that masks have overtaken much of the other plastic littering our streets and countryside. Last week a face mask was found every 60 metres on a litter pick in the Scottish town of Rosyth.

Much of the rubbish I now see on footpaths is dog poo bags. I don’t normally touch these, but there are now so many that, last weekend, I decided to collect some. I deposited 28 bags in the council bin, from a two-mile walk.

It’s disgusting. Why don’t people just leave the poo? The bags aren’t going to biodegrade anytime soon. Why make the effort to bag it if it’s just going to be left behind?

Dog poo litter is up a whopping 200 per cent since on this time last year, says a report by Divert, who remove litter for councils and private landowners. They are alarmed by this increase and the implications this could have for public health, and are calling on irresponsible owners to pick up after their pets.

Sometimes I find all this utterly depressing and feel there’s no point in picking up rubbish only for it to be replaced by more. But then I see someone else collecting litter, or read about people who are cleaning up their neighbourhoods, and feel a bit more positive.

But to get on top of it for good there needs to be a zero tolerance approach. If other countries can do it, we should be able to. Anyone caught littering should be set to work cleaning public areas. Never again would they throw down a tab end or an empty bottle.

How wonderful it would be for us to enjoy walks free from sweet wrappers and stinking dog poo bags, or drive along roads that weren’t littered with McDonald’s take-out packaging.

I can but dream.