Smokers get 'portable ashtrays'

The ban on indoor smoking comes into force in April next year

Free "portable ashtrays" are to be handed out to smokers in a bid to clean up the streets of Northern Ireland.

The Tidy Northern Ireland Campaign is providing 30,000 pouches for smokers to store their cigarettes ends in.

A campaign spokesman said research had suggested that NI's biggest litter problem was cigarette-related rubbish.

The campaign wants smokers to become accustomed to using the pouches before the ban on indoor smoking comes into force in 2007.

With bars and businesses reluctant to provide bins, the result is more flung fag ends, boxes and matches and a bigger tab to clean them up Ian Cole Tidy Northern Ireland

Tidy Northern Ireland chief executive Ian Cole said more smokers were "nipping outside for a cigarette" because they had nowhere to smoke in bars or workplaces.

"With bars and businesses reluctant to provide bins, the result is more flung fag ends, boxes and matches and a bigger tab to clean them up," he said.

Mr Cole warned that smokers who caused litter in the streets could face fines of up to £50.

The free portable ashtrays, along with campaign posters, will be given out with packets of 20 cigarettes in convenience stores in Omagh, Irvinestown, Strabane, Dromore, Enniskillen, Newtownstewart and Belfast.

Tidy Northern Ireland is also working with manufacturers to offer cigarette bins to businesses "at bargain prices".

Councillors in Fermanagh, Omagh and Strabane are already supporting the campaign by providing more cigarette bins and giving away free posters.

The councils also said they would increase efforts to impose fines on smokers who leave their rubbish on the streets.

The move follows a similar campaign by Keep Britain Tidy, which announced last week it would give away 250,000 pouches.