Jermyns Lane, where I have enjoyed living for the past twenty six years,used to be a real country lane, bucolic at times, and usually safe to walk along despite the lack of pavements.

With the proliferation of high-density housing estates being built around the northern edge of Romsey, Jermyns Lane has now become a “rat-run”over to the M3 and M27, and commuters are joined by large articulated trucks, delivering plants to local nurseries and other goods to the trading estates on the eastern edge of the town.

Some of the drivers of these vehicles appear to be unable to drive even a short distance without (illegally) drinking at the wheel and then somehow unable to take the empty bottle home with them, they throw them out of the vehicle on to the verges of Jermyns Lane.

Some days it would be almost possible to fill the re-cycling bin with containers thus discarded.

These litter-louts have even moved up-market.

Yesterday I picked up an empty Hildon Water bottle complete with “by appointment” and the royal coat of arms. So some of these litter

louts are well-heeled as well as stupid.

Simon Watson

Jermyns Lane