THE bane of litter has become so bad in Burnley that the council is now considering appointing to special wardens to patrol the streets -- if funding can be found.

But while most people would welcome extra action to combat the problem, the best solution, surely, lies in overturning the attitude of the people who create it -- the thoughtless litter-bugs and the deliberate dumpers.

Theirs is an outlook graphically highlighted this week by Councillor Rafique Malik who found 50 bags of rubbish dumped on a street in his ward.

The stuff has been there for weeks. It not only poses a health risk, but also brings an unwelcome bad image to the neighbourhood that has to suffer it. But because, in this case, the dumping took place on private land, the council cannot remove the rubbish but can only take action to make the blameless owner of the land tidy it up.

But what of the true culprits -- the irresponsible people who brought and left this mess? Shouldn't there be action against their kind also?

Not only is such behaviour unnecessary -- when, as is pointed out in our report tonight, the council already provides sufficient services to keep the town clean and will even provide free community skips on request -- it is essentially futile. For, as taxpayers, those who litter the place end up paying for its removal.

What is manifestly needed is more sting in the use of the litter laws -- to make litter louts and dumpers truly aware that their behaviour can cost them dearly as individuals. If Burnley gets anti-litter wardens, they must be armed with the power to issue sharp on-the-spot fines , the Council must prosecute all alleged dumpers and the courts must impose the stiffest penalties on offenders.

For, too often, it is the under-use of the anti-litter legislation that gives the impression that the authorities care little for getting to grips with the problem, encouraging the evident 'couldn't-care-less' outlook among some people in the community that needs to be got rid of.