ENFORCEMENT officers in Carmarthenshire are warning smokers to stub out their cigarettes wisely in a New Year blitz on smoking litter.
Local businesses are also being urged to take action to stop smoking-related litter.
The Environmental Protection Act (1990) gives powers to local authorities to take action against individuals and businesses who create litter, and to get areas cleaned up.
Smokers who flout the law can be issued with an on-the-spot fixed penalty notice of £75, and if they fail to pay, they face a court appearance and a fine of up to £1,000.
Executive board member for environmental and public protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “We have received a number of complaints about smoking-related litter in the town centres.
“We are determined to improve the quality of the environment in Carmarthenshire for both residents and visitors and if that means fining people, then so be it.
“It costs tax payers £2million a year to provide the service to clean the county’s streets, which is money which could be better spent elsewhere.”
In this latest crackdown, the council’s environmental enforcement officers will carry out targeted patrols in our county’s town centres.
This council campaign aims to highlight the problem of smoking-related litter and encourage people to put their cigarette butts in the bin.
Council environmental enforcement manager Paul Morris added: “Dropping litter is against the law and dropping a cigarette end is no different from throwing away any other sort of litter.
“Anyone caught dropping cigarette butts or any other type of smoking-related litter such as cigarette packets or matches will be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75 and a maximum fine of £1,000.
“Businesses also have a responsibility to keep the land around their premises clear from litter – failure to do so could result in a litter clearing notice being issued.
“If customers smoke outside premises, we would advise business owners to think about where they are going to stub out their cigarettes.”
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