NEW signs are set to be rolled out in Romsey telling litter-droppers to not "be a tosser".

The controversial posters will be trialled in litter hotspots early this week at the Romsey Sports Centre, Southampton Road, in a bid to shame litterbugs into taking their rubbish home.

Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) will erect the signs at the Knightwood Leisure Centre, Valley Park, and the Nursling Industrial Estate after 16 were put up in Andover last week.

The posters ask: "Why are you tossing litter around here?" and say: "Don't be a tosser. You brought the rubbish here, please take it home with you."

The move is inspired by similar campaigns from New Zealand and Keep Tidy Britain, which urges residents to pick up their litter and not spoil the environment.

Now community leaders have reacted to the anti-litter campaign, with one councillor saying TVBC decided to erect the signs after they have "proved effective" in other areas.

Deputy leader of TVBC, Cllr Nick Adams-King, said: "Lockdown demonstrated just how much we all value our local parks and green spaces.

"But, despite regular council clean-ups, they can sometimes be blighted by those that don’t take their litter home or use the bins provided.

"So, in response to residents' requests, we’re trialling this new sign in known litter hotspots."

He admitted the signs are "controversial", but added: "In other areas it’s proved effective into shaming those that think it’s acceptable to leave litter lying around into using a bin or taking it home."

Cllr Dorothy Baverstock, who represents Romsey Cupernham on the borough council, said: "I quite like the beginning of the message, but I think the word tosser is a funny one to use, because it has other meanings.

"I think older people will probably be more shocked than younger people when they see these signs and we have to watch the kind of language we use around children, because they could pick it up and then it becomes part of their vocabulary.

"But, I am all for shocking people and bringing this message to their attention, because litter is being dropped more and more in Test Valley."

Cllr Alan Dowden, who represents the Valley Park ward, said: "I fully support TVBC, people should be respecting their own environment and should be either placing their litter in litter bins or taking it home with them.

"Valley Park has suffered a great deal while the COVID-19 lockdown has been in place, with more people using the parklands and woodland areas for exercise over the last four months.

"Penalties should be far greater in order to prevent such behaviour."