AN eco-conscious councillor has warned inconsiderate residents they will be fined if he catches them plaguing the city with discarded rubbish.

Martin Goss, Colchester councillor for Mile End, regularly conducts litter-picks throughout his ward, mainly covering the length of Northern Approach.

On Thursday, as he does every morning before work, he headed out with his litter-picking equipment, meticulously inspecting and cleansing the city’s streets.

By the time Mr Goss had concluded his planet-saving community efforts, he had filled a full black bag of waste – much to his disgust.

He said: “It is a real shame I have to do this because people should not litter but anyone I catch can expect to be getting a fixed penalty notice through their door.

“I regularly go out before I dig into my work each day it makes for good exercise; it helps keeps the area clean and it is good for mental health.

“I encourage many people to get out and litter-pick because we have to take pride in where we live and in our city.

“I usually do the whole of Northern Approach, but I split it into sections – some days I can get a big bag full but other days it can be less.”