SMOKERS who drop their butts on the ground face £75 on-the-spot fines.

Environmental health officers launched a three-month awareness campaign yesterday, which will focus on Basildon, Wickford, Billericay, Felmores shops and Basildon Hospital.

Anyone caught dropping a cigarette end before January will be given a warning and a pocket-sized butt box, to stub out their cigarette ends in. But any smokers seen dropping cigarette ends on the street in 2009 will be fined.

Terri Sargent, Basildon Council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “We will give smokers a period of grace.

“This will ensure they are aware of the campaign and understand they are breaking the law by dropping cigarette butts. However, from the start of the new year, our environmental enforcement officers will start to issue fines to people caught dumping their cigarettes in the street. We hope this will encourage them to dispose of their cigarettes responsibly.”

Officials from Basildon Council’s environmental health team are to target pubs, clubs, restaurants and offices, to reduce smoking litter.

They are writing to businesses and carrying out personal visits, to offer advice on the problem. Businesses will be encouraged to persuade employees to bin their cigarette butts.

Free posters, asking people to think twice before discarding their fag ends, will also be handed out to local businesses to be displayed to employees.

Officials will also be handing out thousands of butt boxes, for businesses to give away to smokers.

Tony Ball, deputy leader of Basildon Council, said: “Smoking-related litter is a blight on the environment and clean streets are a top priority for local residents.

“We hope this will encourage business owners to take greater responsibility for the litter outside their premises and make people think twice before dropping their cigarette butts.”