More than 700 people have been fined so far since the campaign to make Blackpool the cleanest seaside resort by 2020 began last year.



The council and Keep Britain Tidy bosses were out in the town centre over the weekend to promote the message.

The Keep Blackpool Tidy campaign, which began last year, is aiming to encourage more residents, visitors and businesses to use the bins provided and take pride in keeping the resort clean.

Run between Blackpool Council and environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the campaign focuses on reducing litter in the streets and encouraging more people to take up community litter picks.

Since the start of the campaign, extra bins have been installed throughout the town centre, while special litter enforcement officers have handed out over 700 fines to people caught dropping litter on the ground.

Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, said: "The first year of the campaign has already made changes which should contribute to a cleaner Blackpool.

"The enforcement officers have handed out over 700 fines to people who have been caught dropping litter - predominantly used cigarette butts - on the ground and that £80 fine that they have received should act as a deterrent to stop them doing it again.

"More bins around the town centre should also make it easier for people to throw their rubbish away responsibly but a lot of the onus should also be on members of the public to actively use the bins and not drop litter on the ground. If a bin is full then you are never too far from another one that can be used.

"At the same time, I know a lot of people feel proud of Blackpool and want to make sure that it stays clean and tidy. They can be a big help too, by signing up as a Keep Blackpool Tidy ambassador and carrying out their own community litter picks in their own local neighbourhood.

"People should continue to keep their eyes out for ways that they can help us Keep Blackpool Tidy."

Richard McIlwain, Deputy Chief Executive at Keep Britain Tidy, added: "As a charity we're proud to be working with Blackpool Council in their bid to clean up the town. We have a host of great ideas that we're hoping to introduce into Blackpool over the next few months that we believe will really make a difference to the litter problem in the town."

Of the 704 fines handed out by 3GS since their work began in August, 66% have been paid so far, while others are still being processed or are escalating to prosecution stage.

96% of the fines handed out were for offences involving littering cigarettes, with the vast majority of fines handed out on town centre roads, where the enforcers operate on a daily basis.

For more information on the campaign, or to sign up as a Keep Blackpool Tidy ambassador, visit www.blackpool.gov.uk/tidy