Archive: Sinking into Squalor

As bestselling author Bill Bryson explores why Britain is being engulfed by litter and what we can do to clean up our act in Panorama: Notes on a Dirty Island, we examine the causes of the country's rubbish problems by looking back at 1990 Panorama film Sinking into Squalor.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher lends a helping hand

Panorama first highlighted the problem of litter on our streets almost 20 years ago.

At that time litter was a hot topic, with numerous high profile campaigns on television ramming home the message that we should "Keep Britain Tidy".

Then, as now, there was growing concern about how rubbish would affect the tourist trade, and even the prime minister of the day, Margaret Thatcher, was keen to get involved in the campaign to clean up the country.

Psychological impact

There was also anxiety, as Sinking into Squalor highlights, into what psychological impact living with dirty streets was having on the public.

Professor Graham Ashworth discusses the psychological impact of litter

There are parallels between the 1990s and today - despite the UK having some of the toughest litter laws in Europe, rubbish on our streets is an increasing problem.

In Notes on a Dirty Island Bill Bryson questions why those rules do not seem to be enforced and the effect it has on the environment.

Zero tolerance

Today one of the biggest obstacles in solving the UK's litter problem is that there is no consistent national approach to keeping the streets clean.

Litter enforcement officers tackle litter louts

Local councils decide how to enforce litter laws with some taking a zero tolerance attitude towards the problem, but all too many choosing not to have litter enforcement wardens at all.

But, as Panorama's Sinking into Squalor shows, things were little different in the 1990s and then as now many wardens trying to curb littering faced an uphill struggle.

Panorama: Notes on A Dirty Island can be seen on BBC One at 8.30 on Monday 11 August.