People who drop rubbish in Manchester can expect to receive a fine, with a special team of litter busters about to hit the city centre.
The move is part of a huge litter crackdown organised by Manchester City Council in response to concerns from residents about the problem.
The City Council has invested in more than 600 new litter bins which were installed in the city centre earlier this year – funded by the £14.5m clean city fund used to create long term improvements to Manchester’s environment.
A major campaign has also been launched urging residents and visitors to take responsibility for the issue by using the bins provided and not dropping litter.
Advertising slogans have been placed on paving slabs – thought to be a first for a British city – while grants have been provided to community groups who want to organise their own clean-up operations.
Cllr Bernard Priest, deputy leader of the council, said: “We’ve invested in the city centre by providing these new bins, we’ve communicated with the vast majority of decent people who want to enjoy the city centre and don’t want to see it being used as a rubbish dump – now we’ve got to get tough.
“This crack team have had special training and will get to work looking for those individuals who still think it’s acceptable to drop litter. These litter louts are in the minority but there’s enough of them to have an impact on the city centre, which is very distressing for our residents and the millions of people which visit Manchester every year. From now on, anyone who drops litter can expect a tap on the shoulder and an on the spot fine.”
