SMOKERS in north Oxforshire are being ordered to “bin their butts” as Cherwell District Council gets tough on litter louts.

For the next fortnight, council enforcement officers will hand out warning cards to anyone they spot throwing away dog-ends in the streets.

But from Monday, October 12, anyone caught littering will face an on-the-spot £75 fine.

George Reynolds, council executive member for environment, health and recreation, said: “We live in a beautiful part of the country but some people seem determined to make it resemble a giant ashtray.

“Despite the fact that the approach of this campaign has been widely publicised, we felt smokers deserved warning first.

“But it is time they stopped littering the district.

“We have improved our on-street facilities to make it easy for them to avoid dropping cigarette ends and will even hand out pouches they can carry with them.

“And surely it’s easier to just dispose of these things responsibly rather than gamble on a fine each time.”

A trailer advertising the new scheme and information on how to kick the habit will be at Bridge Street and Market Place in Banbury today.

It then travels to Bicester on Monday, October 5, and Kidlington four days later.

Lamppost ashtrays are already up in Banbury and soon more bins with stubbing plates will appear across town.

The council will also be handing out the pouches – complete with information on how to give up – to store cigarette ends if there are no bins or ashtrays nearby.

Oxfordshire Smoking Advice Service spokesman Xanthe Bevis said: “Regular support can be combined with nicotine replacement medication to make you up to four times more likely to quit successfully.

“Even just seeing our advisors to get some help in getting ready to stop smoking, setting a quit day and talking about how you’re getting on can double your chances of stopping.”

In June, a man caught and fined for throwing a rolled cigarette butt from his car window claimed it was biodegradable and therefore not litter.

Vincent Tyrell, from Marcham, near Abingdon, said he was “absolutely gobsmacked” when he was found guilty of littering after an appearance at Didcot Magistrates’ Court.

The 42-year-old was given a £75 on-the-spot fine after a Vale of White Horse District Council officer saw him flick the butt from the window of his VW Golf in Ock Street, Abingdon, in January.

He refused to pay the fine, claiming his roll-up was not litter as it had no filter and was biodegradable.

But magistrates agreed cigarette ends, when not disposed of properly – even without a filter – should be considered as litter, and fined him £85 with £260 costs.