A woman has been fined £75 by council environmental enforcement officers for dropping chewing gum.
The officers were on patrol in Ammanford town centre at the time of the offence and issued a fixed penalty notice for littering.
Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of up to £2,500.
Not only is chewing gum litter an eyesore but it can stick to people’s clothes and shoes and it is difficult and costly to clean up.
Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “I hope people take notice of this fine and put their litter in the bin, whether it’s chewing gum or another type of litter.
“Our enforcement officers carry out regular patrols across the county but it can be very difficult to catch people in the act. Obviously we don’t want to fine people; we would prefer they don’t drop litter in the first place, but if they fail to take notice then we have no choice.”
The council is trying to raise awareness of chewing gum litter and takes part in a national chewing gum litter campaign annually.
The aim is to encourage people to put their gum in the bin and remind them that dropping litter is an offence.
Last year’s campaign led to a 70% reduction in chewing gum litter in Llanelli, Ammanford and Carmarthen town centres.
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