DID you know that it cost East Hampshire District Council £504,000 to clean the streets in 2005/06? Or that you can now get an instant fine of £75 if you are spotted littering? An EHDC roadshow will be making its way around East Hampshire this coming week to raise awareness of the cost to tax payers of clearing up litter. Contracts department officers will also be telling people about new legislation which will enable council's to be a lot tougher on anyone caught dropping litter. EHDC portfolio holder for the environment, Judy Onslow, said: "We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful area, and it is everyone's responsibility to keep it that way. With this roadshow we will be talking about the law in general – for example, not many people realise that littering is a criminal offence and you can be fined up to £2,500." She continued: "We will also be targeting specific types of litter like cigarette butts and chewing gum. Cigarette butts take up to 12 years to degrade, and over 122 tons of cigarette related litter are dropped everyday in the UK, so it's a major problem. "We will be showing off brand new pouches for chewing gum and cigarettes that people can carry around with them to dispose of the waste responsibly, instead of just dropping it on the ground." The roadshow team will all be wearing eye- catching t-shirts with the slogan "We know where to stick it... do you?" "We'll also be talking to people about the kerbside glass collections which we hope to have up and running by the end of the year," added Mrs Onslow. "We will pick up empty glass jars and bottles for recycling, to help increase our already impressive recycling record still further." The roadshow will be touring the district as follows: • Saturday, September 2, Forest Centre, Bordon • Monday, September 4, Grayshott • Tuesday, September 5, High Street, Alton • Wednesday, September 6 The Square, Petersfield. Further information can be found on the EHDC website at http://www.easthants.gov.uk">www.easthants.gov.uk or call EHDC customer services on 01730 234295.
