Call for smokers to face the burn for littering streets with cigarette ends

They also want to see chewing gum users who discard it on pavements to face punishment.

The public made their views known at the launch of a roadshow by Burnley Council to showcase the harder line the local authority is taking to tackle the problem of dog fouling and littering.

Private company Kingdom Environmental Enforcement Services will soon be carrying out enforcement work on behalf of the council, issuing on-the- spot fixed penalty notices to offenders caught dropping litter, cigarette ends and chewing gum, and failing to clean up after their dog.

Another focus of the roadshow was to encourage householders to "go paperless and sign up for e billing."

Council officers were on hand to explain how the new system of paying council tax via an electronic billing service works.

And as an extra incentive for people to sign up to it householders who switch to e-billing and register to pay their council tax by direct debit before the end of April will be in with a chance to win an iPad Air 2 donated by the council’s strategic partner Liberata.

Deborah Davies, Burnley’s head of revenues and benefits, said: “E-billing is quick, secure and helps us to reduce our costs so we can continue to provide services residents need.

"It’s quick and easy to sign up to the service, it takes a few clicks of a button. We’re also encouraging people to sign up to paying their council tax bill by direct debit, which means you don’t have to remember to pay each month.

"The payments are set up to come out automatically.”

To sign up for e-billing all you need to do is go to www.burnley.gov.uk and follow the link. You’ll be asked to use your unique online key and council tax numbers which will be on your 2017/2018 council tax bill, to be delivered to every home in early March.

Council officers and colleagues from Liberata will be out and about again on Thursday, February 23rd in St James’s Street and outside the bus station on Thursday, March 30th.