HALSTEAD is piloting a crackdown on smokers dropping their cigarette butts.

Enforcement officers have started patrolling and handing out £75 fines to any smokers dropping litter.

The campaign started after Braintree Council consulted with Halstead’s pubs, hotels and betting shops to gauge their views on the issue.

Scenarios Bar, the Royal Oak, Whispers Wine Bar, the White Hart, the Bull, and bookmakers Coral, William Hill and Jennings all support the campaign.

Whispers Wine Bar owner Nigel Bolland said: “We think this is a great idea. We’ve always tried to make it easy for customers to dispose of litter and we tidy the area outside our premises. With everyone on board, I’m sure the appearance of the town will benefit.”

Wendy Schmitt, councillor responsible for keeping the district clean, said: “We want to help businesses encourage their customers to act responsibly, and I hope this focus on smoking-related litter will highlight the benefits of working together in this way.”

Phase one of the campaign started at Christmas, when businesses were given campaign posters to display.

Phase three will see the council spread the campaign message throughout the district with adverts on buses and dustcarts.

The campaign will run until the end of this month, during which time regular monitoring of litter levels will be carried out. In March, the campaign will be evaluated to see if it can be rolled out to other businesses in Braintree and Witham.