POCKET ashtrays are being handed out to smokers to combat an increase in litter since the introduction of the smoking ban.

The free re-usable 'stubbi' cigarette pouches, made of fire resistant plastic with an airtight design to lock odours inside, are being given to smokers to help dispose of cigarettes.

Burnley Council is distributing samples of the pouches to local pubs, nightclubs. restaurants, cafes, Burnley job centre, Contact Burnley and other information points.

Enforcement officers are also backing up the council's 'No Ifs, No buttsit's still litter!' message with on-the-spot fines of £75 to people who drop cigarette butts or other smoking litter in outdoor public areas.

New posters, featuring the slogans 'No Ifs, No buttsit's still litter!' and 'Cigarette litterit could cost you a packet', will be distributed to pubs, local convenience stores, newsagents, community centres and other sites across the borough warning smokers of the £75 fines.

Both initiatives has been launched following the introduction of the Smoke Free England legislation in July, which prohibits smoking in any enclosed public spaces.

Councillor Margaret Lishman, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "The introduction of the Smoke Free England legislation has brought positive benefits already to enclosed public spaces but unfortunately one of the negative side effects is a potential increase in the amount of cigarette litter on our streets.

"Because of this we are determined to tackle those who feel that dropping cigarette litter is acceptable behaviour. However we also wish to work with smokers over this issue and providing stubbi pouches to them is one way in which we are trying to achieve this."

Burnley Council's principal environmental health officer Joyce Walkden, said: "Cigarette litter can cause just as many environmental and public health problems as other forms of litter and we have been taking a zero tolerance approach towards those dropping this kind of litter.

Jill Wolfendale, Burnley Council's principal environmental health officer (health and safety) said: "We accept that the Smoke Free legislation has meant that people are having to go outside of offices, shops and pubs to smoke and we want to encourage people not to drop their cigarette ends on the street."