Offenders are put on cigarette butts duty

CONVICTED criminals have been drafted in to clear thousands of discarded cigarette butts from the streets of York.

Offenders who were handed community punishment sentences were brought in for the clean-up in York as part of a scheme which gives the public the chance to dictate the punishment for crimes committed.

Smokers in the United Kingdom throw away about 200m butts every day which often become caught in paving stones, making them more difficult to clean away effectively.

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Cigarette butts are one of the biggest litter problems on York's streets and the city council spends 2m every year on street cleaning.

Organisers behind the Community Payback team stressed that taxpayers' money was being saved by recruiting the offenders to reduce the street cleaning costs throughout the city.

Community Payback manager for York and Selby, Ed Gray, said: "Cigarette butts can be extremely difficult to clear up and this costs both time and taxpayers' money. I am delighted that the Community Payback team has been able to provide the manpower required to help the council achieve its aims.

"At the same time offenders could be seen giving visible payback to the communities where they have caused most harm, through their offending."

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Officials from the council's street cleaning teams have warned that anyone who is caught dropping a cigarette on York's streets faces an on-the-spot fine of up to 75.

Student volunteers who took part in a similar clean-up scheme in York last year picked up more than 30,000 cigarette butts in an eight-hour period.

Offenders have been used by the Community Payback team to carry out a range of other projects for the council, including graffiti removal.

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