Exploiting lifeguards - No place for litter louts

It is outrageous that lifeguards are being expected to spend 30 minutes a day picking up litter on the beaches of Co Louth. Litter louts should pick up their own rubbish.

It is even more disconcerting that those lifeguards say that they are not allowed to speak on the record about this deplorable situation. Lifeguards are trained to look out for the safety of people using the water. Turning them into part-time rubbish men will only be a distraction from their vital duties.

Serious efforts have been made in recent years to clean up the countryside. If necessary, wardens should be employed to ensure prosecution of litter louts.

Clamping down on antisocial behaviour such as littering is in all our interests. In the United States, when they clamped down on such behaviour as part of a zero tolerance, it had amazing benefits.

This is not about victimisation or intolerance, it is about social responsibility which can enhance the quality of life for everyone.