A NEW anti-littering campaign is targeting smokers who drop their cigarette ends at the district's railway stations.
The Braintree District Council scheme aims to raise awareness that cigarette butts are litter and dropping them in the street is a criminal offence punishable by a £75 fine.
Council officials estimate commuters leave more than 2,500 cigarette ends at Braintree and Witham stations a year, with an average of 250 incidents a week.
Enforcement officers will be on patrol and issuing fixed penalty notices to those caught in the act.
Councillor Wendy Schmitt, cabinet member for place, said: "Dropping your butt on the floor is unacceptable and easily avoidable as there are cigarette bins outside the station. It makes the place look dirty and untidy.
"Cigarette butts can take up to 12 years to break down, are harmful to our environment and a danger to wildlife.
"There are many responsible smokers out there who dispose of their butts carefully and I applaud them. But again, like other litter issues, it is the few who spoil things."
This is the latest venture in a campaign by Braintree District Council called Green Heart for Essex, designed to improve the aesthetic of the area following a decline in public satisfaction in the cleanliness of the district.
Since its launch in April last year, there has been a 250 per cent increase in the number of fixed penalty notices issued with 577 people hit with a fine.
If the campaign succeeds, it will be extended to businesses in the area, concentrating mainly on Braintree, Witham and Halstead.
"Not all enforcement officers wear uniforms so guilty parties could be caught at any time," said Cllr Schmitt.
For more information on Green Heart of Essex, visit www.braintree.gov.uk
