Two smokers fined for dropping cigarette ends in Carmarthenshire

Another two people have been fined by Carmarthenshire council environmental enforcement officers for dropping cigarette ends.
The first offence was in Carmarthen Street in Llandeilo and the second in Ammanford’s Tesco car park.
Both women were issued with fixed penalty notices for £75 for dropping litter.
Failure to pay could result in prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum fine of up to £2,500.
The council has a zero tolerance policy on litter and figures show that around 83% of all litter found on county streets is smoking-related.
Cigarette ends make an area look untidy; they are also very difficult and costly to clean up as they fall into grates and cracks in the pavement making them almost impossible to remove by normal cleaning methods.
Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “Dropping litter is against the law. Many people do not think of cigarette ends as litter, but they are no different from throwing away any other sort of rubbish.
“Keeping Carmarthenshire clean and safe is a top priority and anyone caught breaking the law in this way will be prosecuted.”
An education and awareness campaign is underway in Carmarthenshire to encourage people to dispose of all types of litter responsibly including cigarettes and chewing gum, fast food related rubbish and litter from cars.