On a recent spring Saturday afternoon, I set off, eagerly, on a walk from my home village of Sedgwick to Sizergh Barn farm and teashop.

Following the road down through the village, I crossed over the river Kent and continued on towards Brettagh Holt roundabout. As I came to the layby

on the right hand side of the road, I could hardly believe what I saw.

The usual line of 15 or more cars, parked there every weekday, enabling workers to car share on their M6 journeys, were absent, and all that filled my gaze was litter, of every shape, size and material. The layby and grass verge had become a rubbish tip!

There were glass and plastic bottles; cardboard and plastic drinking cups; paper and plastic bags; sandwich and fast food containers; cigarette packets and an endless number of crisp bags.

I felt a wave of emotions, from disbelief through to disappointment and disgust, which almost culminated in despair. How could this possibly be? What makes sane and sensible drivers behave in this way? Why do they do this?

Then, questions turned to action. I walk with the aid of a rollator so I only had a small storage area, plus one large carrier bag in which to collect as many items as I could.

I probably removed about one per cent of all that was there! When I could carry no more, I walked on towards my destination, saddened to pass yet more, and similar rubbish, strewn the whole length of the walkway alongside the road.

I reached Sizergh Barn and off loaded the contents of my bags into the largest refuse bin I could find before going to have a coffee.

There, I reflected upon my experience. God created for us a beautiful place in which to live. In His Word He made just one request of us: 'Look after what I have given to you.'

Why do we not do that?

Please, if you are one of the offending, thoughtless and careless drivers who park in the 'Brettagh Holt ' layby, think before throwing out your litter and take it away with you.

Mal Wadsworth

Sedgwick