For many of us the sun finally making an appearance in East Anglia has symbolised the start of summer, and the portable barbecues and bat and ball sets are now out in force.

Norwich Evening News: Paul Constable. Picture: ArchantPaul Constable. Picture: Archant (Image: Archant)

However one Norwich resident is asking his neighbours to spare a thought for the debris they leave behind when the sun goes down, after he discovered the city's beautiful riverside walk covered in litter.

Paul Constable has taught environmental and social workshops all over the world, and yet he says that the British mentality towards their environment is one of the worst, as they don't 'take ownership' of their surroundings.

Mr Constable, 69, lives in the Riverside area, and said: 'I walked along the riverside bank from Carrow Bridge and east past the new developments, and I found a number of disposable barbecues as well as disposed of bottles, and a large empty bottle of whisky.

'I've been out along that stretch on a litter pick and we came back with two bin bags full of rubbish- the amount of cigarette ends you find is ridiculous. Obviously we can't even pick every single one up.'

Mr Constable also previously worked as a teacher at City College, he added: 'There are practical things which we can do to help, for example organise litter picks.

'I've contacted the City Council about putting in some more bins along the stretch from Carrow Bridge into the city as there are none, and that would make a big improvement.

'There have been two dog mess bins put in by the Norwich Residential Management, but they get filled up with rubbish because there's nowhere else for it to go.'

Mr Constable, who has worked in Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, added: 'The worst thing is seeing the rubbish collect in the river under Carrow Bridge. The Broads Authority are very helpful in cleaning it, but until the work is done on the ground it won't get better.

'People in Norwich need to take ownership of their environment.'