No ifs or butts...

YOU could be fined 50 for dropping any kind of litter in Ballymoney under the terms of a new initiative launched by the council.

On Wednesday Ballymoney Borough Council started a new scheme to tackle the litter problem in the town, with wardens fining people on the spot for dropping cigarette butts, chewing gum and other rubbish.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Ballymoney Borough Council are continually striving to create a cleaner, safer and healthier environment for all of its residents.

“However there are still those in our community and also those out with who pass through our borough who continue to have a blatant disregard for the environment.

“As one travels around the borough it is evident how many members of the public still think it’s ok to discard their litter on our roads,grass verges, footpaths etc.

“The types of litter vary from cigarette butts, chewing gum, sweet papers,bottles, cans, plastic bags to several large bin liners full of household waste and also dog fouling.”

On Thursday two council officers, Karen Mitchell the council’s Environmental Warden and Clive Anderson the council’s Cleansing Supervisor, patrolled the town centre in a bid to detect would be offenders.

One offender was caught throwing a cigarette butt from a car. Advice was also given to those that the officers came across who were smoking in the street .

A survey was also completed during this patrol in relation to the number of cigarette butts that were evident.

The spokesperson continued: “Main Street Ballymoney is cleaned early morning on a daily basis. The survey revealed that by midday there were some sixty five cigarette butts found on the road and footpaths along Main Street alone.

“Over the next weeks and indeed months this location and indeed others will be heavily monitored .

“Those offenders caught will be issued with Fixed Penalties for 50.

“Failure to pay the Fixed Penalties will result in those individual cases being referred to court.

“There are absolutely no excuses for this type of anti social behaviour and it will not be tolerated within the Ballymoney Borough.

“Patrols will also be carried out around Bus shelters and other areas where members of the public congregate in a bid to reduce the current level of littering.”

However, some residents have claimed there are a lack of bins in the town.

Indeed commenting on the situation a local man said it was like “putting the cart before the horse”.

Recently, Coleraine Borough Council began a similar initiative, crucially though they supplied shops with free pocket ashtrays, something that Ballymoney has not yet put in place.