Rubbish reduced as litterbugs taken on
A crackdown on Staffordshire litterbugs has seen offenders fined and mess slashed, according to a council.
A crackdown on Staffordshire litterbugs has seen offenders fined and mess slashed, according to a council.
Eight litter louts have had to hand over £75 during the campaign to reduce fast food litter in Cannock Chase district.
The Dirty Pig scheme, run by the district council and Keep Britain Tidy in January and February, with the support of fast food restaurants, tackled the problem. In six areas, posters were placed in fast food outlets, ranging from McDonald's and KFC to chip shops and smaller outlets.
Litter patrols were carried out and fixed-penalty notices were issued.
Radio advertisements were also produced for Cannock Chase Council and aired on Kerrang! Radio.
The litter patrols resulted in a reduction in fast food litter.
Around KFC at the Orbital Retail Park, Cannock, the number of litter items dropped by two-thirds over a four-week period.
After the campaign, all participating shops were visited by a Cannock Chase Council street warden to gauge reaction and to gather comments.
Councillor Tony Williams, Cannock Chase Council environment leader, said: "All litter, including fast food litter, is offensive and the campaign really highlighted this. Litter is offensive.
"If caught, Cannock Chase Council will issue an offender with a £75 fine.
"I hope those who drop litter take notice of the eight fixed-penalty notices issued during this campaign.
"Failure to pay will result in prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.
"Litter of this type is ruining the appearance of our district.
"Campaigns like this help to address the issues we have with fast food litter and with the support of local businesses we can work together to achieve a litter-free district. Remember, put your rubbish in the bin."
Phil Barton, Keep Britain Tidy chief executive, said: "Fast food litter is a considerable problem for many communities.
"It is a huge eyesore and adversely affects people's perceptions of themselves and their neighbourhoods.
"We also believe that low-level anti-social behaviour such as littering can lead to more serious crimes which have a major impact on quality of life in an area."
