Preston photographer speaks out against PPE littering as she documents gloves and masks thrown on the streets

Sonia Bashir has been taking the photos on her iPhone while out on her daily walk around central Preston.

Now she wants to encourage people to dispose of personal protective equipment (PPE) safely to help protect the environment.

Sonia, who posted the images on Twitter, said: "This is such an unprecedented time for the UK and the whole world, and I wanted to somehow document it as much as I can.

"The streets and roads seem empty on my walks but what I couldn’t help noticing was the amount of discarded gloves and masks while out walking.

"I was horrified people would do this.

"I could see them dotted around everywhere, on every street, every road. So I decided to take pictures of what I came across on my walk yesterday.

"The photos were taken around central Preston, less than a mile away from my home, and from the comments (online) I have had, it seems like this is the case all around Preston, and other areas of the UK too."

In fact, an America Twitter user even commented that he had counted 20 gloves on his three-mile run in South Florida.

Meanwhile, another user said they had picked up and tossed hundreds of gloves in the bin over the past month.

Sonia added: "It’s sad to see how so many people can disrespect the environment in this way."

Dr Bilal Patel, of Preston, is now offering advice for people using PPE to clean their homes, in accordance with Government guidelines.

The consultant cardiologist, who works at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, said: "Double bag it after use and store it securely for 72 hours, then it can be thrown away in the regular rubbish."

The Government also advises washing hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds, and after removing gloves, aprons and other protection used while cleaning.

For more information about Sonia's work, please visit https://soniabashirphotography.co.uk/